Public policy is about “who gets what, when, and how”, Harrold Lasswell explained in his seminal work that brought about our profession over seventy-five years ago. Public policy thereby not only determines policy outcomes and impacts but also shapes society and its historic trajectory.

Public policy analysis helps shape the future, and professionals with a Master of Public Administration and Policy join that legacy by applying the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to support economic growth, community wellbeing, and the just distribution of resources. From focusing on local actions to paying attention to global governance, policy professionals help to shape the future of our society and planet in critical ways. In the sections below, explore how public policy leaders have shaped our modern approaches to government and governance.

The History of Public Policy
Historic public policy documents played an integral role in shaping modern policies and processes. For example, the Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitution demonstrate how the world shifted toward modern ideals.

• Magna Carta: Today, the Magna Carta is one of the most prominent and longstanding pieces of public policy in history. Written by 40 rebellious barons in 1215 CE and signed by England’s King John I, the Magna Carta sought to establish checks on government power. The primary target for Magna Carta was the king himself, whom the rebels considered a tyrannical ruler. The Magna Carta is now more than 800 years old and has influenced many consequential public policies, including those outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
• U.S. Constitutional Ideals: 550 years later, the U.S. Constitution united a group of former English colonies and codified the democratic principle that citizens deserved to participate in the creation of policies and the bestowing of rights through laws and government action. The rule of law rather than aristocratic or authoritarian power henceforth dictated policy, and a representative form of government let people elect leaders who would define policies in accordance with their vote and constituents’ preferences.
• Modern Approach: At present, the most fundamental distinction between modern American public policy and its historic predecessors may be the expansion of bureaucracy, denoting the administration through which policies are organized, managed, and implemented. The development of policy is a far more negotiated process than in centuries past, consisting of complex vertical and horizontal institutional arrangements and organizational relations across jurisdictions and levels of government. Public debate over how policies should be designed and carried out—including longstanding tensions regarding the reach and accountability of government action—continue to be front and center of our profession.

Public Policy Leaders Throughout U.S. History
20th Century U.S. public policy was marked by expansion of government, bureaucracy, and services to the public. These leaders stood at the forefront of significant policy change.

• Woodrow Wilson: During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson acted as a bellwether for this extensive change in American public policy. The U.S. State Department notes that, prior to Wilson, Americans maintained a largely separatist approach to the politics of Western Europe. Wilson brought America and Western Europe together as allies and was instrumental in creating the League of Nations, the first international organization designed to mediate international disputes and develop global policies.
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Roosevelt inherited a country in severe economic turmoil from the Great Depression. Some regions suffered from unemployment as high as 50 percent. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” significantly expanded the economic reach of the government, by providing financial protection for banks and investing in work opportunities for the millions unemployed targeted at infrastructure development.
• Lindon B. Johnson: Following John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Johnson declared “War on Poverty” and expanded on the New Deal with what came to be known as the “Great Society” program, consisting of a series of policies to support the poor and marginalized. The Clean Air Act and the Civil Rights Act were among his first term’s major achievements. His second term brought about the Voting Rights Act, Medicare, and Medicaid.
• Ronald Reagan: Amidst the consolidation of major government programs aimed at ensuring equal rights and equitable access to opportunities, pressure rose to reduce and decentralize government. The Reagan administration instituted requirements to review any new federal rule’s costs and benefits, provisions which subsequent administrations expanded, from considering economic costs, to assessing environmental impacts, to accounting for discrimination.

Modern Public Policy in Action
Today’s public policy follows in the 20th Century’s path of increasing involvement in foreign affairs and expanding domestic programs. For any change in economic and social policies, whether foreign or domestic, our government engages with a wide range of stakeholders, from members of the president’s cabinet to congressional committees, to federal, state, and local governments, to affected industries, and to advocates and interest groups.

• Economic Policy: The federal minimum wage is an example of public economic policy. Established by the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, the minimum wage ensures that employees in the U.S. receive living wages. The federal government last increased the minimum wage in 2009 to $7.25 per hour, and most states define commensurate or higher minimum wage requirements of their own. Advocates for and against raising the minimum wage continue to debate the social, political, and economic effects of this policy.
• Domestic Policy: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is an example of domestic policy that was adopted in 2021. This law is authorized through 2026 and provides $1.2 trillion in funding for a range of domestic projects, including: broadband internet expansion; ecosystem restoration; electric vehicle charging stations; pollution cleanup; power and grid reliability; public transit; roads and bridges; and water infrastructure. The BIL was negotiated by policy leaders from across the political spectrum. Its funds were allocated for programs and projects through government agencies including the Department of Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, and National Telecommunications Information Administration.
• Foreign Policy: Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the level of U.S. involvement on behalf of Ukraine has been a central foreign policy issue. During the Biden Administration (2021-2025), America’s approach to this conflict included providing funding to Ukraine and enacting sanctions against Russia, whereas the Trump Administration’s focus is on bargaining for a peace deal in return for a stake in Ukraine’s natural resources. Policymakers and the public continue to debate the best approach moving forward.

Centuries ago, public policy was handed down by monarchs, autocrats, and aristocrats. Power brokerage among elites and intermittent war continued to define turning points in public action and their impacts on societies and the course of history. First the enlightenment, then the post-war reconstruction brought about a democratic, deliberative, and eventually an evidence-based (“scientific”, according to Lasswell) approach to public policy. Despite periodic attempts to reverse course, this modern approach to public policy is unlikely to wane considering the economy’s, our society’s, and our planet’s reliance on an efficient allocation and just distribution of scarce resources. With a Master of Public Administration and Policy, graduates are prepared to meet the challenges of creating and revising public policy that help to solve public problems at the local, state, federal, and international level.

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