Public Policy Principles

School-Wide Public Policy Principles

1. A public issue is not automatically a clearly defined policy problem.
2. Policy problems are shaped by evidence, values, institutions, interests, language, and political context.
3. Public policy involves choices and trade-offs.
4. Data does not interpret itself.
5. Evidence quality matters more than evidence volume.
6. Policy analysis must distinguish fact, reported claim, assumption, inference, projection, recommendation, and political preference.
7. Policy design must consider implementation capacity.
8. A technically attractive policy may fail if institutions cannot implement it.
9. Public decisions require accountability.
10. Citizen participation must not be treated as symbolic decoration.
11. Policy evaluation must consider intended and unintended consequences.
12. Equity and distributional effects must be assessed.
13. Public trust and legitimacy affect implementation.
14. Local context matters.
15. National policy cannot automatically be copied into every province, district, city, or community.
16. AI may support policy work but cannot replace lawful authority, democratic accountability, or human judgment.
17. Current laws, regulations, budgets, statistics, and institutional structures must be dated and verified.
18. Uncertainty must be communicated honestly.
19. Policy recommendations must state limitations.
20. Public policy should serve legitimate public purposes, not hidden private interests.

Content Status: DRAFT — Public Policy Principles.