A government white paper is a policy document produced by a government department that sets out proposals for future legislation. The term originated in the 1920s to mean a type of position paper or industry report published by some department of the UK government. White papers are a way for the government to present policy preferences before introducing legislation, and they test public opinion on controversial policy issues and help the government gauge their probable impact. White papers are also used to educate and inform the public on policy issues and to encourage an exchange of information and analysis.

White papers are not just limited to government use, as they have also been adopted by business organizations to market products and services. In this case, the organizations product or service is the solution to the problem, and the tone may be objective, but the purpose is to market the specific product. White papers are meticulously researched, providing facts to support their claims and citing the sources of those facts. The author of a white paper is expected to be an expert on the policy issue the paper addresses.

The main sections of a white paper may include an executive summary, an introduction or a section on background, a section that describes the problem, a section that presents the solution or solutions, and a conclusion. Some authors also include sections that describe the criteria that must be met by any acceptable solution, that critique each possible solution, or that provide specific recommendations. White papers vary in structure and format, so it is important to follow the prompt and examine any sample white papers provided.