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Defining the social problem


“A problem well defined is a problem half-solved.”
John Dewey

“If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”
Albert Einstein

As a public policy analyst, your group or your class will first need to select a problem topic and then specifically define a social problem. A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable.

Here are some steps to consider in selecting and defining a social problem for your public policy analysis: