Direct and Derived Policies: Illicit Drug Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Australia

Abstract

We distinguish two types of public policy issues: direct issues, in which concern comes bottom-up from the electorate at large; and derived issues, in which pressure for change comes top-down from expert opinion. We outline two continuing, contentious issues: policies towards illegal drug use and policies towards the prospect of global climate change. We argue that the media play a role in both policies' formulation: chaneling concern up in direct policy, and maintaining general interest and motivating the electorate to accept the pain of change in derived policy.