Synopses & Reviews
“Public Policy Praxis is one of the best books on the market right now. It does an excellent job of covering various approaches to policy analysis, and it offers solid advice to students about how and when to use the different approaches.”
–R. McGreggor Cawley, University of Wyoming
Public Policy Praxis: A Case Approach for Understanding Policy and Analysis
Second Edition
Randy S. Clemons
Mark K. McBeth
This readable and conceptual approach to public policy balances theory and practice to provide students at all levels with a solid grounding in policy analysis. Authors Randall S. Clemons and Mark K. McBeth explore the impact of mixed methodologies on policy analysis and support their discussions with engaging teaching cases. Offering a balanced view of public policy, the text addresses the political basis of policy making and analysis and covers the limitations, practical problems, and ethical implications of different techniques and methodologies. Models and tools help students develop the analytical skills necessary for policy analysis, while thought-provoking boxes and anecdotes relate concepts to specific examples. In addition to new coverage throughout, this edition has been revised to be even more accessible to undergraduates without diminishing its value to graduate students.
New to the Second Edition
- Political storytelling is introduced as a key component of the text.
- A new case exploring the politics involved in placing a big-box chain store within a community highlights the conflict surrounding economic development projects.
- The stakeholder mapping tool has been extended.
- Chapter Eight is reorganized into five key positivist tools and includes new material on the use and misuse of Internet surveys.
- An all-new Teaching Appendix offers students an opportunity to review key concepts and skills, including
- story analysis
- writing policy analysis
- ethical decision-making
- three streams theory
Synopsis
This readable and conceptual approach to public policy carefully balances theory and practice to provide students at all levels with a solid grounding in policy analysis.
Authors Randy S. Clemons and Mark K. McBeth explore the impact of mixed methodologies on policy analysis, supported by interesting and useful teaching cases. Offering a balanced view of public policy, the text addresses the political basis of policy making and analysis and covers the limitations, practical problems, and ethical implications of different techniques and methodologies. Models and tools are provided to help students develop the analytical skills necessary for policy analysis, while engaging boxes and anecdotes relate concepts to specific examples. In addition to new coverage, this edition has been revised to make the book even more accessible to undergraduates without weakening its usefulness to graduate students.
Synopsis
MySearchLab provides students with a complete understanding of the research process so they can complete research projects confidently and efficiently. Students and instructors with an internet connection can visit www.MySearchLab.com and receive immediate access to thousands of full articles from the EBSCO ContentSelect database. In addition, MySearchLab offers extensive content on the research process itself—including tips on how to navigate and maximize time in the campus library, a step-by-step guide on writing a research paper, and instructions on how to finish an academic assignment with endnotes and bibliography.
This updated readable and conceptual approach to public policy carefully balances theory and practice—unlike most other books, which either lack theory or lack practicality. The authors combine positivist and postpositivist perspectives on policy analysis, supported by interesting and useful cases. Explores the political basis of policy making and analysis, with a careful eye toward readers' practical needs. Provides models and tools, along with the analytical knowledge necessary for policy analysis. Discusses the limitations, practical political problems, and ethical implications of different techniques and methodologies. Discusses value conflict, power, political systems, democracy, subjectivity, and ambiguity. A comprehensive reference for professionals in public administration or anyone interested in learning about public policy formulation.
Table of Contents
I. THEORY AND PRACTICE.
1. Public Policy, Power, the People, Pluralism, and You.
2. The Rational Public Policy Method.
3. Critiques of the Rational Approach.
4. The Nonrational (Political) Approach.
II. PRACTICE AND THEORY.
5. A Pragmatic Public Policy Analysis Method.
6. Postpositivist Problem Definition and Praxis.
7. Doing Democracy: A New Fifth Step.
8. The Positivist Toolbox.
III. PRAXIS.
9. The Conclusion: Praxis.
Teaching Appendix
Exercise #1: “Teaching Story Analysis”
Exercise #2: “Bad Policy Analysis”
Exercise #3: “This isn’t a Hilton Hotel, Ma’am”
Exercise #4: “Dutch Donor Delusion Deepens Divide & Delineates Decision Difficulty Dilemma”
Exercise #5: “Music or Muzak at the Campus Radio Station: The Effects of Different Electoral Systems on Results”
Exercise #6: “The Case of the School Fight”
Exercise #7: Role Playing Simulation: “Big River and Siting an Airport: Case for Democracy and Policy Analysis”
Glossary.
Index