Public Policy Analysis

Public Policy Analysis, the most widely cited book on the subject, provides students with a comprehensive methodology of policy analysis. It starts from the premise that policy analysis is an applied social science discipline designed for solving practical problems facing public and nonprofit organizations. This thoroughly revised sixth edition contains a number of important updates: Each chapter includes an all-new "big ideas" case study in policy analysis to stimulate student interest in timely and important problems. The dedicated chapter on evidence-based policy and the role of field experiments has been thoroughly rewritten and expanded. New sections on important developments in the field have been added, including using scientific evidence in public policymaking, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and "big data." Data sets to apply analytical techniques are included online as IBM SPSS 23.0 files and are convertible to Excel, Stata, and R statistical software programs to suit a variety of course needs and teaching styles. All-new PowerPoint slides are included to make instructor preparation easier than ever before.Designed to prepare students from a variety of academic backgrounds to conduct policy analysis on their own, without requiring a background in microeconomics, Public Policy Analysis, Sixth Edition helps students develop the practical skills needed to communicate findings through memos, position papers, and other forms of structured analytical writing. The text engages students by challenging them to critically analyze the arguments of policy practitioners as well as political scientists, economists, and political philosophers.

"Dunn's textbook, now a classic in its sixth edition, remains perhaps the most faithful heir to Lasswell's legacy of problem-oriented, multidisciplinary policy analysis. Unique among textbooks, Dunn puts problematization and problem structuring center stage as the major driver in each field of the policy-analytic domain. As usual, Dunn skillfully blends (social) scientific insight, epistemological sophistication, methodological finesse and practical savvy." – Robert Hoppe, University of Twente, The Netherlands"Public Policy Analysis remains the preeminent textbook of its type in the field, and is widely used in many countries, including China, where it is now the most widely used volume for training policy analysts in government. The new edition continues the tradition of excellence established by previous editions and updates the ​text, references and examples to ensure its continuing relevance to​ the contemporary world of policy analysis in governments, the NGO and private sectors.​ Like earlier editions it remains clearly focused on the technical aspects of policy analysis and the ins and outs of ​providing problem and solution-centered advice to governments, including hands-on examples and illustrations of use to both current and future policy professionals." – Michael Howlett, Simon-Fraser University, Canada"Since the first edition published in 1981, Public Policy Analysis has served as the internationally well-known navigator to the study of policy analysis for students, instructors, and practitioners. William Dunn effectively illustrates methodology and methods of policy analysis with real-world case materials and examples at the local, national and international levels. This 6th version continues to offer a critical synthesis of the field of policy analysis, updated to suit the contemporary environment. It still remains the best guide for both undergraduate and graduate courses out there." – Keun Namkoong, Former President of Seoul Tech and of Korean Association for Public Administration, South Korea"Very impressive book and will continue to use this as a must read book for my students aspiring to become respectable policy analysts." – Sofian Effendi, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia

William N. Dunn is Professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, USA.