Public policy matters, because it makes a difference - for better or for worse - to people's lives. This book provides an introduction to public policy in New Zealand: what it is, who makes it, and how it is made. Public Policy in New Zealand is also about the system of government in which policy is shaped. The book's main purpose is to explain in a straightforward manner what the institutions of government are, and how they interact with citizens and interest groups to produce public policy. In short, this is a book about government and governance. Although this book is aimed at undergraduate students studying public policy, social policy and politics, it will appeal to anyone who is interested in how New Zealand is governed.