A Modern Guide to Public Policy

Reviews / Votes

'This timely contribution gathers the rich body of literature in policy studies within a comprehensive framework. Edited by two of the world's leading scholars in the field, the volume builds on the contribution of both prominent and emerging scholars to make a critical presentation and examination of the state of the art in public policy analysis. The book successfully combines the theoretical milestones of policy studies and the empirical reality of public policymaking to become an indispensable guide for students, academics and practitioners interested in the question of how to make policies work.' -- Giulia Bazzan, International Review of Public Policy 'A Modern Guide to Public Policy provides a commendable overview of the field's literature and implications for practice. I was impressed with the breadth of coverage and the quality of content from the assembled author team. The book will be most useful for graduate-level courses in public policy, possibly as a central text for such a course within a public administration program, given the chapters' frequent attention to practitioner perspectives.' -- Christopher L Atkinson, International Journal of Public Administration 'Those new to the study of public policy, as well as those who have long made its practice and study their work, will welcome this volume. Edited by two of the world's leading scholars of public policy, its sixteen chapters, written by prominent and emerging European, Asian and North American scholars, succeed where few edited volumes do. They introduce readers to the foundational works in public policy even while providing state of the art theorizing regarding such topics as the dynamics of public policy, mechanistic underpinnings of policy design, and the effect of policy tools and policy mixes on policy outcomes.'
--Grace Skogstad, University of Toronto, Canada 'The theory and practice of public policy has shifted considerably in response to ongoing crises, challenges and institutional reform. Capano and Howlett have assembled a great line-up of scholars, bringing fresh insights to understanding these changes. The authors take seriously the importance of historical context and institutional capacity, in order to explain the politics of policy debate, including policy instruments, processes, learning and policy evaluation. As a guide to key themes in policy theory and practice, this book provides authoritative coverage.'
--Brian Head, University of Queensland, Australia