A policy change can be a very long process and may seem discouraging at times, but it is usually worth the effort. Successfully changing policies can make the difference between sweeping problems under the rug and actually cleaning them up. In addition, it can help to change people’s basic assumptions about the world and about how society should function.
Policies can be official government policies translated into laws and regulations or unofficial, often deeply rooted attitudes and assumptions about issues. The latter aren’t written anywhere and are a lot more difficult to change, but can shape how officials approach the issues they have to deal with. For example, the assumption that it is normal to lie or cheat may be part of the reason a company like Enron was allowed to get away with it for so long.
In the case of formal policies, changing them can be influenced by factors such as public opinion, the availability of new information (like studies that show that existing methods don’t work), and the presence or absence of external funding (changing rules). Policy changes also occur when there is enough pressure from the community to influence politicians to take up a cause.
Individuals can try to bring about a policy change, but there are some groups that are more likely to be successful. They include organizations that have both the technical knowledge of a particular issue – statistics, study results, understanding of the root causes of a problem – and the credibility to lead a discussion about it. Examples include health and human service, business, educational and environmental groups.