1. Social policy refers to both the state-based provision of goods and services to meet basic needs, as well as the academic study of these policies. 2. As an academic discipline, social policy draws from and contributes to other social sciences like political science, sociology, and economics. It examines the social, political, and economic contexts of policymaking. 3. There is debate around whether the policymaking process is rational or more complex and incremental. Multiple actors and unintended consequences can influence policy outcomes in unpredictable ways.