An Introduction to the Policy Process: Theories, Concepts and Models of Public Policy Making

I needed some additional information to help in understanding the policy process for an assignment I needed to complete and the book gave detailed explanations which I fould quite helpful.

There are a number of books "out there" on the nature of the public policy process. This is one of the better textbooks on the subject. The book begins with a solid chapter on the nature of public policy and how we study the phenomenon. This flows into the second chapter, which focuses on the history of public policy (going back to Constitutional design) and culminates with a discussion (albeit brief) of the fragmentation of the policy process. The next two chapters explore key actors--official governmental actors like the President and Congress and unofficial actors such as media and think tanks. Thereafter, the text focuses on the various "stages" of the policy process--from agenda setting to policy types to policy design and the toolbox of policies to implementation. The volume concludes with an examination of several theories of the policy process. This book isn't the best of the lot; however, it is a good, serviceable introduction to the policy process.

This book explains how public policy is made, the types of models which could be used to make/evaluate a public policy, and an overview of how public policymaking fits into the American government process. Since most people have only learned about the three branches of government, they may not be certain how passed laws are enacted. Lacking the time and expertise needed to implement these laws, legislators at the federal, state, and local levels delegate authority to agencies to make the policy which will implement these laws. The chief benefit of this text is the qualitative approach which Birkland personally prefers (although he does warn that other approaches use an economics-based approach) and clear explanations. It also contains an annotated bibliography of influential works and a dictionary of key terms used in the public policymaking process. Birkland's text is written so that it can be used either by students or public policy practitioners. Instead of bogging down the reader in minutiae and personal liberty, he wanted to emphasize how important public policy is.