The Role of Bureaucracy in the Public Policy Making: A Review

Abstract

Etymologically, the term “policy” comes to us from Greek, Sanskrit, and Latin languages. The Greek and Sanskrit root polis (city-state) and pur (city) evolved into the Latin politia (State) and later, into the Middle English policie, which referred to the conduct of public affairs or the administration of Government. The etymological origins of policy are the same for two other important words: police and politics. This is one of the reason why many of the modern languages, for example German and Russian, have only one word (politik, politika) to refer both to policy and politics. A policy is a blue print which guides the Government for the achievement of desired goals. It may be defined as a public need assuming importance and as far as possible, appropriately assessed for its actual fulfillment. It involves an identified and definite public problem and the preparation of State to meet it in particular style. It conceives a line of action to achieve a certain result negative or positive and to refrain from acting on a specific issue or matter. Policy as a rule is the product of extensive study and intensive analysis of available data and information. Therefore, it is apparently believed to be superior function confined to the top layer of administration.