Senator Knowsome proposes a bill to outlaw hamburgers. The bill is sent to a committee and then a sub-committee to work out the details. At what stage of the policymaking cycle is this?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Senator Knowsome's bill being sent to a committee and then a sub-committee is an example of the policy formulation stage of the policymaking cycle. Policy formulation is when you are trying to figure out how to solve a public problem. In the US system this can get really tricky because you have to get a whole lot of people to agree to the policy solution. By the time you get 3/5 of the Senate, a majority of the House, and the President to agree on something, the actual policy probably isn't making very many people actually happy about it. It becomes a "Well, this is better than nothing" scenario.

Senator Knowsome Proposes a Bill to Outlaw Hamburgers