Respons to this discusion post:
"Most people believe that the president or Congress pass the laws and formulate policies based on their perceptions of what the public wants and needs. Often it is the result of research or the pressure of groups and individuals lobbying for or against a certain policy."(Burger pg. 281)
One factor is research. Studies, records, surveys, reports and experiments are used in deciding policy. All of this research is presented to the president and Congress. An example of how research was used to develop policies and programs was the Community Mental Health Centers Act of 1963. There was data gathered on the growing number of people that needed mental health care.