The Political Economy of Public Policy

Policy experts examine the impact of the market economy on policy making -- the ways in which decisions are tied to the well-being of businesses. They put a new emphasis on the importance of goals and underlying values in policy making. What should it be trying to achieve, and for whose benefit? The politics of social security, finance, and taxation; the impact of class conflict on policy; the ideologies that lie behind policy -- these are examples of the subjects researched and discussed.