Hi all, and welcome to our second podcast episode on understanding public policy in the US! This episode is going to delve into a few key topics that shape policy--in essence, we are talking about the larger environment in which we make decisions about things like Social Security, gun control, or healthcare. Our focus will be on a few key topics: federalism, separation of powers (briefly), subgovernments, and the split between public and private (is it the government making the policies or private entities and individuals?). This episode will also focus on supplementing the chapter with data regarding how states have challenged the federal government, data on who works for government (and how that has changed over time), and what we spend money on at the national, state, and local levels. Enjoy and as always email me ([email protected]) with any questions you have!