A computer-implemented system and method for policy inheritance, comprising, defining a first group wherein the first group refers to at least one of: a user and a group different from the first group, defining a second group wherein the second group is nested within the first group, defining a first policy wherein the first policy includes a resource, a subject and one of, an action and a role, and wherein the subject includes the first group, inheriting the first policy by the second group, wherein the resource is part of a resource hierarchy, and wherein the first policy can be used to control access to the resource.