Editing Policy analysis (section)

====Process model====
{{See also|Policy#Policy cycle|l1=Policy cycle}}

Policy creation is a process that typically follows a sequence of steps or stages:
* Identification of a problem (also called "problem definition") and demand for government action. Different stakeholders may define the same issue as different problems. For example, if [[Homelessness|homeless people]] are using [[illegal drug]]s such as [[heroin]] in a city park, some stakeholders may define this as a [[law enforcement]] issue (which, in their view, could be best solved if police presence in the park is stepped up and if the individuals using illegal drugs are arrested and punished); on the other hand, other stakeholders may view this as a [[poverty]] and [[public health]] issue (which, in their view, could be best solved if [[public health nurse]]s and government [[medical doctor]]s and [[substance abuse]] counsellors were sent to the park to do [[outreach]] with the drug-using individuals, and encourage them to voluntarily enter "[[detoxification]]" or [[Drug rehabilitation|rehabilitation]] programs).
* Agenda setting
* Formulation of policy proposals by various parties (e.g., citizen groups, congressional committees, [[think tank]]s, [[interest group]]s, [[lobby group]]s, [[non-governmental organization]]s).
* Policy selection/adoption and legal enactment of a selected policy by elected officials and/or houses of representatives. At this stage, '''policy legitimation''' is conferred upon the selected policy solution(s).
* Policy implementation, which involves [[civil servant]]s putting the selected policy option into practice. Depending on the choice made by the executive or legislative branch, this could involve creating new [[regulation]] (or [[Deregulation|removing existing regulations]]), creating new laws, creating a new government program or service, creating a new [[subsidy]] or [[grant (money)|grant]], etc.
* Policy [[evaluation]]. After the policy has been in place for a year or several years, [[civil servant]]s or an independent [[consulting firm]] assesses the policy, to see if the goals were achieved, if the policy was implemented effectively, etc.

This model, however, has been criticized for being overly linear and simplistic.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=John |last2=Mendizabal |first2=Enrique |url= http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=1127&title=become-policy-entrepreneur-roma |title=Helping researchers become policy entrepreneurs |work=ODI.org.uk |publisher=[[Overseas Development Institute]] |location=London |date=September 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120926223640/http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=1127&title=become-policy-entrepreneur-roma |archive-date=26 September 2012 |access-date=7 October 2009}}</ref> In reality, stages of the policy process may overlap or never happen. Also, this model fails to take into account the multiple factors attempting to influence the process itself as well as each other, and the complexity this entails.