Public policy is related to the public interest because it affects all of us in some
way. But as these examples show, we are not all affected by the same policies
in exactly the same way, nor is one’s intensity of feeling about an issue necessarily
equal to that of others. And many of us don’t have any particular issue
that would cause us to mobilize with others to demand policy change. Most of
us do not care too much about the day-to-day workings of government because
we are busy with the day-to-day workings of our lives and because the activities
of government seem removed from our daily interests and needs. Still, the
federal government plays an important role in every aspect of our lives, from
the nutrition labeling on our breakfast cereal to the standards for fire-retardant
kids’ clothing. And state and local governments tax us, can restrict how we use
our land through land use planning and zoning, define what the schools can and
cannot teach, and make rules about everything from the operation of the state
fairgrounds to where and when we can own and carry firearms. Big states, like
California, are so influential that their standards—such as those on automobile
emissions—are adopted by other states or in federal law. Not everyone likes
rules like these, of course—industry for years battled against federal and state
safety and emissions regulations on vehicles. But as oppressive as government is
claimed to be by some interests, some government activities seem either benign
or beneficial to most people, and we tend not to dwell on those policies until
something goes wrong. And, as is often true in democracies, policies ultimately
gain broad support so their repeal is unlikely, as with the social security program
or tax deductions for dependents.