Contemporary methodological approaches to studying public policy, its pros and cons

Abstract

Some may see that talking about public policies is recent in its origins and appearance. They are right because this term did not appear with its methodological framework and scientific and academic content until the second half of this century. However, historical documents and events confirm without doubt the introduction of this term and the solidity of the scientific practices associated with it. The roots of public policies extend to the civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Nile Valley, where Hammurabi embarked on his famous obelisk to document in it the most important principles and the most important starting points that regulate the behavior of individuals and groups and their relationship with the public authority represented by the king or pharaoh. If the attempts are simple and primitive from the contemporary point of view, then they are when evaluated within the framework of the historical and civilizational stage. What was presented in it is a great achievement and an invaluable contribution to humanity. Without those roots and practices, the contemporary field of public policy could not have emerged today and in the form, it is in. Logically, the characteristics, topics, and concerns of public policies today are different from what they were in the stages of their historical emergence. The contemporary industrial and technological revolution, the events of the two world wars, the political, economic, and social changes that followed, and other developments in modern life have complicated and deepened the contents of public policies and made them a practical and academic field that requires research, study, and specialization.