Problem Recognition - Problems that may potentially make their way onto the public policy agenda are recognized.

Agenda Setting - Problems that are deemed worthy of attention are placed on the agenda.

Policy Formulation - Various policies are crafted to deal with the problem that has been set on the agenda.

Policy Adoption - An official policy is agreed upon.

Policy Implementation - The public policy that has been officially agreed upon is put into action.

Policy Analysis and Evaluation - The implemented policy is evaluated for its effectiveness.