public policy

[ puhb-lik pol-uh-see ]

noun

1. 1. the body of laws and other measures that affect the general public:

      These officeholders are creating public policy on important issues including affordable housing and the environment.

   2. the underlying principles, values, or objectives that inform these laws and other measures: In a secular state, no religion can become the basis of public policy.

      The Institute participates in shaping public debate and public policy through inquiry and dialogue.

      In a secular state, no religion can become the basis of public policy.

2. Law. the principle that injury to the public good or public order constitutes a basis for declaring an act or transaction illegal or invalid:

   The principle of public policy requires that we judge the tendency of the contract at the time when it was entered into.

Word History and Origins

Origin of public policy¹

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

A survey conducted in mid-October by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California pinpointed the economy, including jobs and the cost of living, as the most pressing issue for state residents.

From Los Angeles Times

Central Valley residents were also the least likely to see hope on the more distant California horizon, with under 1 in 3 saying they thought the state was headed in the right direction, according to the Public Policy Institute’s survey.

From Los Angeles Times

“On the climate front, warming temperatures have put water storage capacity of the Sierra Nevada mountains in long-term decline,” said Adrian Covert, the Bay Area Council’s senior vice president of public policy.

From Los Angeles Times

Lurie received a bachelor’s degree in political science at Duke University and a master’s in public policy at UC Berkeley.

From Los Angeles Times

Shaun Harper, a USC professor of education, public policy and business, slammed the nomination.

From Los Angeles Times