Private Markets and Public Intervention

Averch describes and analyzes common strategies for solving problems in public policy. The strategies discussed include the use of markets, bureaus, regulation, planning and budgeting, benefit-cost, systems analysis, and evaluation. He examines the historical development of each strategy; describes how each strategy would ideally work; explains the necessary or sufficient conditions that permit each strategy to work; lists the potential failures of each strategy; and provides a judgment or appraisal of each strategy.

Averch does an outstanding job of presenting the strengths and weaknesses of different strategies for designing public policy. . . . An excellent upper level text. . . . Students will come away with a good sense of the complexity of the problem. Joel D. Aberbach", “Averch does an outstanding job of presenting the strengths and weaknesses of different strategies for designing public policy. . . . An excellent upper level text. . . . Students will come away with a good sense of the complexity of the problem.” —Joel D. Aberbach

Harvey Averch is professor of public administration at Florida International University.