This course is an introduction to the process of policy-making in Canadian government. The roles of institutions, processes and political elements in the creation of policy and its implementation are discussed. While these will be examined in the context of all levels of government, the emphasis will be on provincial and local policy-making arenas as the governments that most directly shape the local policy environment. In addition, the course will focus on the way values and ideas shape and contribute to the policy agenda, and the role of the public in the policy-making process.