The public policy as an academic discipline

Abstract

The article concerns the description of the public policy as an academic discipline being a part of social sciences. The paper presents the subject, scope and goals of the scientific research. It also outlines the research methods useful in public policy, presents the existing theories and scientific special fields, connections with other disciplines, and also indicates universities in Poland, that lead in the field of study or education in the of public policy. At an international level the public policy as an academic discipline is relatively young, yet it is one of the most rapidly growing among scientific areas. Discipline public policy is closely linked with other disciplines, including the political sciences, public management sciences (not formally singled out in Poland, but rapidly developing) and also the science of administration and law. Benefiting from the achievements of social sciences, public policy can be developed on the basis of methods used in these sciences, but the results of research conducted in the area of public policies also contribute to their growth. The establishing of public policy as an academic discipline in social sciences followed the increasing need to improve policy-making and evaluation of public policies, including the formulation of their assumptions, goals, strategic planning and practice, as well as evaluation and verification of the results. In case of this discipline – the synthesis of the research process holds great importance, even greater than in many other areas of research. The synthesis process includes recommendations, addressed to the society and public authorities responsible for implementation of the relevant sectoral or horizontal policies.