The Public Policy Primer: Managing the Policy Process

by Xun Wu, M. Ramesh, Michael Howlett

This short guide provides a concise and accessible overview of the entire policy cycle taking the reader through the various stages of agenda setting, policy formulation, decision making, policy implementation and policy evaluation. Public officials at every level of government play a vital role in the development, adoption and implementation of government policies. Yet existing works focus only on senior politicians and public officials and, thus, fail to provide an insight into the work of the vast majority of other officials. This book provides an introduction to the key policy functions, the challenges they entail, and how the challenges may be addressed by public officials. Written from a comparative perspective, the authors include examples from a diverse range of countries at different stages of development, highlighting key principles and practices through which officials can effectively manage their policy processes and outcomes. This important tool offers students of public policy and policy practitioners’ guidance on how to make, implement and evaluate public policies in ways that improve citizens’ lives.

Genres: Public Policy

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2010

Reviews

[Earl Pike]

Tremendous overview of the challenges that policymaking faces. The book is well organized and easy to follow. Though highly academic, the text is very approachable. The text is, indeed, a terrific primer in understanding the complexities of policy development and the road to frequent failure. In the highly politicized world we live in, this is excellent to help understand the emptiness of political pageantry.

[Chris]

That's right- grad school has begun. So too will I begin to move away from reading for enjoyment to reading for necessity- first on the docket, The Public Policy Primer. It is an excellent introduction to the study and analysis of the policy process, from agenda setting to policy evaluation and everything in between

[Robin Bittick]

Excellent overview of U.S. Public Policy with a focus on the challenges policymakers face, and then offers strategies for addressing such challenges. This is a short book, and is an excellent choice for a beginning public policy class, or for a quick introduction to public policy at the beginning of a graduate class. I especially liked the emphasis on action, which means an emphasis on the public administration aspects of public policy.

[Jiske]

ik ben niet de doelgroep..... maar bij 80% van de informatie dacht ik "ja duh!!!"

[Tobi ﾄﾋﾞ]

Possibly the most comically pessimistic handbook I’ve ever read in my life

[Keith]

Succint and detailed

Great book on the stages of the policy process. A bit on the short side, but there is an extensive bibliography at the end of each chapter. The explanations are common sense and easy to follow, and the author provides excellent examples to describe the various stages. There is also advice for policy managers and those involved in the processes and offers important advice on what to do (and not to do). Highly recommend for those who are studying public administration/policy.

[Casey]

Short. Sweet. Too the Point = Best text book ever. Used headings and italics for the important information and only then elaborated afterwords.

Great book to understand the policy process, the challenges in each step, key actors, and some tips for the policy-maker to-be.