Policy changes are the intentional adaptation, amendment or creation of policies to reflect society’s continually evolving values and norms. This change can happen slowly or fast and through a variety of mechanisms, including legislation, administrative processes, and the influence of international events and decisions.
The policies that affect us all have a profound impact on our quality of life. Changing them can make it easier for citizens to access health care, affordable housing, safe neighborhoods and adequate transportation systems. However, not all policies benefit everyone equally, and it is often difficult to discern whether or not a new policy will have its intended effect.
For example, government policies that shift funding away from essential public services like police forces, hospitals and flood control systems have a direct impact on people’s health and wellbeing. This is because these services provide the infrastructure needed to sustain vital communities. A policy that reduces the number of buses operating in a city, for instance, limits people’s ability to get to their doctor’s office or go grocery shopping for healthy foods.
On the other hand, policies that promote a systematic agenda designed to shift economic leverage away from ordinary workers and families will only serve to worsen the nation’s growing inequality. It will take a comprehensive set of policies to shift bargaining power back toward low- and middle-wage workers, arrest the accelerating trend in income inequality, strengthen and expand America’s social safety net, shore up its educational system and infrastructure, and help close gender and racial wage gaps.
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