Lesson 3: The Policy-Making Cycle

     Their are some steps to be taken before a government policy can be made into a law.  This is called the policy-making cycle.

 First, certain people must let the public know of the issue.  Especially when it will affect them directly.

 The second step is when "linkage institutions" become aware of the issue that the people are concerned about.  Linkage institutions can be the media and political or special interest groups.

They take the opinions of the people and connect them to the government.

 In the third step, Congress and other policy-making institutions decide which issues are the most important and which should be dealt with first.  Then they make a policy that addresses the situation.

 Lastly, the people decides whether or not they like the policy and express their opinion about it.  

If they don't like it, the whole cycle could start over again.