
Public Policy Writing That Matters
David Chrisinger(Author)
Johns Hopkins University Press
2nd Edition
Published on 29. March 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
232 pages
978-1-4214-4232-7 (ISBN)
Shipment within 10-20 days
Description
A thoroughly updated and expanded guide to honing your public policy writing skills-and making a significant impact on the world.
Winner of the George Orwell Award by the National Council of Teachers of English
Professionals across a variety of disciplines need to write about public policy in a manner that inspires action and genuine change. You may have amazing ideas about how to improve the world, but if you aren't able to communicate these ideas well, they simply won't become a reality. In Public Policy Writing That Matters, communications expert David Chrisinger, who directs the Harris Writing Program at the University of Chicago and worked in the US Government Accountability Office for a decade, argues that public policy writing is most persuasive when it tells clear, concrete stories about people doing things. Combining helpful hints and cautionary tales with writing exercises and excerpts from sample policy analysis, Chrisinger teaches readers to craft concise, story-driven pieces that exceed the stylistic requirements and limitations of traditional policy writing.
Aimed at helping students and professionals overcome their default impulses to merely "explain," this book reveals proven tips-tested in the real world and in the classroom-for writing sophisticated policy analysis that is also easy to understand. For anyone interested in planning, organizing, developing, writing, and revising accessible public policy, Chrisinger offers a step-by-step guide that covers everything from the most effective use of data visualization to the best ways to write a sentence, from the ideal moment for adding a compelling anecdote to advice on using facts to strengthen an argument.
This second edition addresses the current political climate and touches on policy changes that have occurred since the book was originally published. A vital tool for any policy writer or analyst, Public Policy Writing That Matters is a book for everyone passionate about using writing to effect real and lasting change.
Winner of the George Orwell Award by the National Council of Teachers of English
Professionals across a variety of disciplines need to write about public policy in a manner that inspires action and genuine change. You may have amazing ideas about how to improve the world, but if you aren't able to communicate these ideas well, they simply won't become a reality. In Public Policy Writing That Matters, communications expert David Chrisinger, who directs the Harris Writing Program at the University of Chicago and worked in the US Government Accountability Office for a decade, argues that public policy writing is most persuasive when it tells clear, concrete stories about people doing things. Combining helpful hints and cautionary tales with writing exercises and excerpts from sample policy analysis, Chrisinger teaches readers to craft concise, story-driven pieces that exceed the stylistic requirements and limitations of traditional policy writing.
Aimed at helping students and professionals overcome their default impulses to merely "explain," this book reveals proven tips-tested in the real world and in the classroom-for writing sophisticated policy analysis that is also easy to understand. For anyone interested in planning, organizing, developing, writing, and revising accessible public policy, Chrisinger offers a step-by-step guide that covers everything from the most effective use of data visualization to the best ways to write a sentence, from the ideal moment for adding a compelling anecdote to advice on using facts to strengthen an argument.
This second edition addresses the current political climate and touches on policy changes that have occurred since the book was originally published. A vital tool for any policy writer or analyst, Public Policy Writing That Matters is a book for everyone passionate about using writing to effect real and lasting change.
More details
Edition
second edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Baltimore, MD
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Edition type
Revised edition
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
4 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder, 36 s/w Zeichnungen
36 Line drawings, black and white; 4 Halftones, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 150 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
329 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4214-4232-7 (9781421442327)
DOI
10.56021/9781421442334
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions

David Chrisinger
Public Policy Writing That Matters
Book
06/2026
3rd Edition
Johns Hopkins University Press
€34.30
Shipment within 10-20 days
Additional editions

David Chrisinger
Public Policy Writing That Matters
E-Book
03/2022
2nd Edition
Johns Hopkins University Press
€26.49
Available for download
Previous edition

David Chrisinger
Public Policy Writing That Matters
Book
05/2017
Johns Hopkins University Press
€20.42
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
David Chrisinger is the director of the policy writing program at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy. He is the author of Stories Are What Save Us: A Survivor's Guide to Writing about Trauma and the editor of See Me for Who I Am: Student Veterans' Stories of War and Coming Home.
Content
Foreword, by Dr. Katherine Baicker
Introduction
Part I. The Thinking Behind Effective Policy Analysis
1. Clear Thinking Leads to Clear Writing
2. Mastering Deductive, Evaluative, and Prescriptive Policy Answers
3. Meeting the Unique Needs of Your Reader
Part II. The Art of Policy Storytelling
4. Developing Stronger Policy Recommendations Using Human-Centered Design
5. How to Haunt Your Readers
Part III. The Craft of Policy Storytelling
6. How to Structure Policy Memos and Briefs for Maximum Impact
7. Deductive and Unified Paragraphs
8. Coherent Paragraphs
9. Clear and Concise Sentences
Part IV. The Necessity of Revision
10. Eleven Strategies for Ruthlessly Pruning Needless Words
11. Being Your Own Best Editor
Part V. The Finishing Touches
12. Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources Properly
13. Making Figures, Tables, and Charts Work for You
by James Bennett
14. A Style Guide for Policy Writing
Acknowledgments
Notes
Suggested Further Reading
About the Author
Index
Introduction
Part I. The Thinking Behind Effective Policy Analysis
1. Clear Thinking Leads to Clear Writing
2. Mastering Deductive, Evaluative, and Prescriptive Policy Answers
3. Meeting the Unique Needs of Your Reader
Part II. The Art of Policy Storytelling
4. Developing Stronger Policy Recommendations Using Human-Centered Design
5. How to Haunt Your Readers
Part III. The Craft of Policy Storytelling
6. How to Structure Policy Memos and Briefs for Maximum Impact
7. Deductive and Unified Paragraphs
8. Coherent Paragraphs
9. Clear and Concise Sentences
Part IV. The Necessity of Revision
10. Eleven Strategies for Ruthlessly Pruning Needless Words
11. Being Your Own Best Editor
Part V. The Finishing Touches
12. Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources Properly
13. Making Figures, Tables, and Charts Work for You
by James Bennett
14. A Style Guide for Policy Writing
Acknowledgments
Notes
Suggested Further Reading
About the Author
Index