Public Policy impacts almost every aspect of our lives, be it
             economic, social or cultural. Our economic well-being is, to a large
             extent, determined by the fiscal and monetary policies of government, while
             socially we are directly or indirectly affected by public policy on a range
             of issues from healthcare and education to welfare and the legal system of
             justice. Culturally, too, our lives are influenced by, for example, public
             policies formulated in the area of working hours, national holidays or
             racial issues. All in all, the presence of public policy is so all-
             pervading that its importance in a democracy cannot be overemphasized. As
             such, it is desirable that every citizen gains, at the least, a rudimentary
             understanding of how public policy works and how it can be influenced so
             that greater economic and social justice for all segments of society is
             The importance of public policy becomes all the more evident with the
             citing of one, highly pertinent example, which directly impacts the lives
             of all ordinary Americans. Consider that in the last few decades,
             "privately held wealth†has become increasingly concentrated in the United
             Statesâ€. In 1989, the richest 1% of the population controlled about 40% of
             the wealth [Bradsher, 1995}. During the same time, first welfare benefits
             and then social insurance benefits were cutâ€. The rich got richer, and the
             poor, if they did not get poorer, certainly lived a more precarious
             existence." (Goodin & Klingemann, 1996, p. 551) Evident from the aforesaid
             example, is that both the distribution and existing inequalities in the
             distribution of wealth is, or should be, of direct concern to all citizens.
             The question then is what combination of tax, investment, and benefit
             policies resulted in these changes and as, if not more important, what
             political, social, or economic objective and ideology led to t...