Why study Public Policy?

To improve. As citizens, we have a lot to gain by studying public policies and discovering which ones are more efficient, which are generating more effects and which are affecting the lives of more people. It is no surprise that scientists from all over the world dedicate their lives to analyzing public policies and their results, generating important knowledge to improve everything the government does for the population.

It is by studying public policies that researchers and scientists help society and governments make better decisions. And they help a lot. For example, Brazilian researchers demonstrated that public audits facilitate the fight against corruption (read article) . Other authors have proven that investing in family health reduces child mortality (read article) . Other scientists have shown that the electronic ballot box increased the representation of votes in Brazil (read article) .

Practically all public policies are studied several times and in various situations, whether during their creation, throughout their implementation or based on their results. Ideally, science should be the basis for all stages of public policy, especially to help society understand its benefits and harms.