Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

John R. Butcher and Trish Mercer
Key terms/names
Australian policy cycle, evidence-based policy, implementation failure, policy
analysis, policy design, policy evaluation, policy implementation, policy making,
policy process, policy theory, policy value chain
It is commonly believed that Australians are uninterested in politics. Whatever the
truth of this proposition, voters are generally interested in government policies that
they believe will affect them, although the manner in which policy is made remains
opaque for many.
We argue that public indifference to how policy is made is problematic. Policy
making affects the life of every person residing in Australia; it shapes the social,
economic and physical environments in which we act out our lives. The policy
process itself can also have repercussions for society and communities, particularly
when community opinion about policy options is divided. An example is the emotionally
charged public debate leading to the passage of legislation allowing for
marriage equality in Australia. 1
Policy making is, in part, an exercise in rational problem solving. It is also an
intensely political process and requires the judicious consideration and balancing of
complex issues, including public opinion, competing interests, social relations and
Butcher, John R., and Trish Mercer (2019). Making public policy. In Peter J. Chen, Nicholas Barry,
John R. Butcher, David Clune, Ian Cook, Adele Garnier, Yvonne Haigh, Sara C. Motta and Marija
Taflaga, eds. Australian politics and policy: senior edition. Sydney: Sydney University Press. DOI:
10.30722/sup.9781743326671
1 Neilsen 2012.
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