The Public Policy Theory Primer

by Smith, Kevin B.; Larimer, Christopher W.

• ISBN13: 9780813343815
• ISBN10: 081334381X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-02-24
• Publisher: Westview Pr
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

Public policy has developed into a broad and interdisciplinary area. Research in the field tends to reflect this wide-ranging nature, with scholarly activity focusing on policy process, policy design, program evaluation, specific policy issues, and research classified simply as "policy studies." For those interested in public policy, this disjointedness can be confusing and cumbersome.This book provides a reasoned and structured framework for the field of public policy. Authors Kevin B. Smith and Christopher W. Larimer not only discuss several major theories but also offer a consistent and coherent framework for uniting the field. This organized and comprehensive approach addresses core questions and concepts, major theoretical frameworks, primary methodological approaches, and key controversies and debates.

Author Biography

Kevin B. Smith is professor of political science at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He has authored or coauthored several books, including The Ideology of Education and The Case Against School Choice, and is published widely in academic journals. Christopher W. Larimer is assistant professor of political science at the University of Northern Iowa. He has authored or coauthored articles in The Journal of Politics, Public Administration Review, American Political Science Review, and State Politics and Policy Quarterly.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Public Policy as a Concept and a Field (or Fields) of Study	p. 1
Does Politics Cause Policy? Does Policy Cause Politics?	p. 27
Who Makes Decisions? How Do They Make Decisions? Actors and Institutions	p. 49
Where Does Policy Come From? The Policy Process	p. 75
What Should We Do? The Field of Policy Analysis	p. 101
What Have We Done? Impact Analysis and Program Evaluation	p. 129
How Does It Work? Policy Implementation	p. 155
Whose Values? Policy Design	p. 181
New Directions in Policy Research	p. 209
Do the Policy Sciences Exist?	p. 231
References	p. 249
Index	p. 269
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