How Government Agencies Write Law and Make Policy, Second Edition, is a resource for students and practitioners of political science, public administration, and public policy. The volume provides an in-depth look at how federal agencies make the rules that govern U.S. society. Basic rulemaking procedure, the role of judicial consideration, and historical, practical, and theoretical perspectives on rulemaking are discussed.
Rulemaking by administrative agencies is one of the most important aspects of government decision-making. Yet it appears invisible to most people. This book by Kerwin addresses (page xi) ". . .the single most important function performed by agencies of government."
The book does a nice job of describing the rulemaking process, its significance, who participates, and so on.
The writing does not sing, but the style is functional and Kerwin makes his points well.
Very much a textbook look at rulemaking, high caliber of information but something to read for research purposes, as the academic style might make it inaccessible and dry to laymen trying to learn more about federal bureaucracies. Definitely intended for political science majors, but the information included is an amazing giant "literature review" with some original findings thrown in there as well.