This chapter explores the complex relationship between business and public policy as it has evolved through time, highlighting key continuities and changes, pointing both to insights that have illuminated the relationship between business and public policy, and gaps in our knowledge that remain to be explored. It first sets out the enduring key features of the practice and study of business and public since World War II, including characteristics of and variations within the three main types of relevant actors - government, business and civil society. It then focuses on three interrelated trends that have been evident as the practice and study of business and public policy have evolved: a generalized shift to more fluid networked organization in many areas of business activity; a direct contesting of business authority by civil society in public policy making; and globalization, which has shifted the focus to includes cross-border and global locations and issues. The concluding section of the chapter highlights the relevance of insights from the field of business and public policy for some urgent and crucial contemporary public problems, pointing to some future research directions for the field.