Public Policy in Action

This comprehensive textbook explores the policy process from a multitude of perspectives, including rationalism, culturalism, institutionalism and from a political point of view. This allows students to discover key concepts from the policy science literature and gain a deeper understanding of how public policy is discussed academically and shaped empirically. Public Policy in Action gives a detailed breakdown of all stages of the policy process by discussing the emergence of policy problems affecting the agenda, the formulation of policy alternatives, the decision-making process, the implementation of policies and the progression to evaluation, learning and policy change. The authors also outline the sets of factors which influence the steps of the policy process internally and externally. The book is supported by a wide variety of case studies from a number of national and international contexts of relevance to an international audience. Key features include: Up-to-date review of the literature on the policy processCoverage on all key elements of the policy cycleInsight into the complexity of policy making in practiceMultiple perspectives of the policy processCritical reflections on the roles of policy analystsMultiple case studies including water management, migration and social policies.This extensive and detailed textbook will be an invaluable resource for undergraduate and masters students of public policy, policy analysis and public administration, by providing an insight into the complexity of policy making in the real world.

'The field of policy studies has long been characterized by rather narrow empirical perspectives. In more recent years, however, there has been a flurry of theoretical orientations that have sought to reorient the field in ways that speak to contemporary policy realities. By focusing on the differences and intersections between four competing perspectives - rational, political, institutional, and cultural - Public Policy in Action offers a useful framework that helps to move the field forward.' --Frank Fischer, Humboldt Universitat zu Berlin, Germany

Victor Bekkers, Menno Fenger and Peter Scholten, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands