Public policy includes the action (or in some cases the inaction) of local, state, and national government as it relates to bioethical issues. Examples include regulations placed on medical facilities or medical professionals, conscience issues for healthcare professionals, restrictions placed on certain medical treatments or procedures, the legality of certain types of research (e.g., cloning, embryonic stem cell research, genetic interventions, animal-human hybrids, etc.), and government health insurance programs. Additional issues covered in this section include theories of public engagement; international governance and regulation; the legal, judicial, and regulatory dimensions of policy setting for medicine, science, and technology development and use; as well as analysis of societal trends regarding public sentiment.
