What is public policy? What is the proper role of the citizens in American public policy? What role does worldview play in the creation of public policy?

Public policy refers to a system of laws and principles a government institutes in order to provide for and protect its citizens. Public policy is often inconsistent; not everyone agrees on what should or should not become public policy, and policies can change over time. Generally speaking, a government’s public policy tries to provide for and benefit as many citizens as possible. For example, a government may create a national healthcare law in order to provide health insurance for its citizens, especially if that government thinks that healthcare is a priority for many of its citizens. Often (but not always), public policy is created by the legislative branch of government. The policy could, if necessary, be challenged or “reviewed” by an independent branch of government, like the judiciary branch. In the United States, Congress could create a law regarding some form of public policy, but that law is also subject to “judicial review” by the courts.
The “proper” role of the American citizenry in shaping public policy involves voting. More specifically, Americans should elect representatives who share their ideas about public policy. For example, if a voter believes the government should invest more money in public education, then the voter should support a candidate that also wants to invest more in public education. Also, Americans can—and often do—shape public policy by exercising their First Amendment rights. For example, many African Americans who protested Jim Crow racial segregation were influential in persuading Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Political participation is the most important link between opinion and policy.
Theoretically, worldview should not shape U.S. public policy. Legislators are supposed to create public policy based on the needs and wants of their constituents, not on personal opinion or belief. Moreover, our legislators should try and remain objective when determining policy; they would have an extremely difficult task if they tried to create and implement policy that encompassed everyone’s views. One person’s worldview—whether religious or secular—should not determine public policy for an entire nation. In reality, however, the worldview of a legislator often does impact their decision-making.
For more information, see: Thomas R. Dye and Bartholomew H. Sparrow, Politics in America, (New York, NY: Pearson HigherEd Publishing, 2009), 152.