Four of the Morrison government's signature policies, including recent tax cuts and laws to remove abhorrent images online, have been labelled as policy "on the run" in an annual review of public policy making.

Without passing judgment on the merits of policies, the joint research project by two usually opposing think tanks - Per Capita, on the left, and The Institute of Public Affairs, on the right - has condemned as "unacceptable" the processes used to design eight out of 20 policy case studies at the state and federal level.

Of eight federal policies reviewed, four were deemed to have followed an "unacceptable" process, by failing to adhere to the basics of good public policy making, including: comparing the costs and benefits of alternative options, explaining how a decision would be rolled out and issuing a green and white paper for public consideration.

Policy on the run: Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

One federal policy - the redress scheme for victims of child sex abuse - was deemed to have followed a "sound" process.