A government policy is a course of action for tackling a political issue, promulgated by a governmental entity. Its scope is immense. It regulates financial markets, manages monetary systems, maintains adequate market competition, protects consumers, and negotiates trade agreements. It also provides essential public goods (like national defense) and social welfare, addressing economic inequality, as well as a variety of other issues that are intractable by the profit-driven private sector.
Policy debate is strategic argument about a particular topic in which the team in affirmation must come up with a plan (the “political solution” to the problem) and the team in negation must convince the judge that it is a bad idea. In the context of policy debate, it is common for both sides to rely on empirical research and a range of theoretical arguments.
The emergence of modern economies has dramatically expanded the scope of government operations over the past 250 years. While governments were minimally involved in pre-industrial markets, they are now responsible for national defense, regulating and investing in companies, providing social services, and producing and supplying private goods.
Modern governments must carefully consider societal demands and political interests in designing their policy responses to emerging problems. Ultimately, they seek to balance the competing goals of economic growth, fiscal discipline, and public integrity. In addition to regulating and investing in the private economy, they must prevent grand corruption and kleptocracy and promote transparency and accountability in the administration of public affairs.