public policy

1. In general, public policy refers to the concepts that underlie social rules, which are frequently unwritten and implemented through programs as a course of action established and/or legislated, generally by a government or non-profit organization, in response to social challenges.

2. In law, public policy means the principle that harm to the public benefit is a grounds for denying the legitimacy of a contract or other transactions.

[Last updated in May of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]