Public Policymaking: An Introduction » (6th Edition)

James Anderson (Texas A&M University) is the former President of the Policy Studies Organization and Secretary of the American Political Science Association. He has served as both President and Vice-President/Program Chair of the Southern Political Science Association and as President of the Southwestern Political Science Association.

To explain the fundamentals of public policy, this best-selling text focuses on the process behind the crafting of legislation. By examining the individual steps—from identifying a problem, to agenda setting, to evaluation, revision, or termination of a policy—students are able to see how different factors influence the creation of policy. Each chapter features at least one case study to illustrate how general ideas are applied to specific policy issues.

Preface vii

Chapter 1 The Study of Public Policy l

The Plan of This Book 2

What Is Public Policy? 6

Categories of Public Policies 9

Approaches to Policy Study 18

Methodological Difficulties in Studying Public Policy 29

For Further Exploration 31

Test Your Knowledge 32

Suggested Readings 32

Notes 33

Chapter 2 The Policy-Makers and Their Environment 36

The Policy Environment 40

The Official Policy-Makers 48

Nongovernmental Participants 59

Levels of Politics 69

Case Study The Endangered Snail Darter 75

For Further Exploration 77

Test Your Knowledge 77

Suggested Readings 77

Notes 78

Chapter 3 Policy Formation: Problems, Agendas, and Formulation 83

Policy Problems 85

The Policy Agenda 90

The Agenda-Setting Process 93

Nondecisions 100

The Loss of Agenda Status 101

Two Cases in Agenda Setting 102

Case Study Coal-Mine Safety 102

Case Study Environmental Pollution Control 705

The Formulation of Policy Proposals 107

Policy Formulation as a Technical Process 112

Case Study Formulating Policy: The Family and Medical Leave Act 114

A Concluding Comment 119

For Further Exploration 119

Test Your Knowledge 120

Suggested Readings 120

Notes 121

Chapter 4 Policy Adoption 125

Theories of Decision-Making 126

Decision Criteria 131

The Public Interest 142

Styles of Decision-Making 144

Presidential Decision-Making 152

Case Study Policy Adoption: Consumer Bankruptcy 156

Case Study Policy Adoption: The Economic Stimulus Act 162

For Further Exploration 164

Test Your Knowledge 164

Suggested Readings 164

Notes 165

Chapter 5 Budgeting and Public Policy 169

The Budget and Public Policy 170

FiscalPolicy 175

The National Budgetary Process 176

Case Study The Struggle to Balance the Budget 194

For Further Exploration 204

Test Your Knowledge 205

Suggested Readings 205

Notes 206

Chapter 6 Policy Implementation 209

Federalism and Implementation 211

Case Study The Elementary and Secondary Education Act 213

Who Implements Policy? 216

Administrative Organization 222

Administrative Politics 225

Administrative Policymaking 231

Case Study The Nuclear Waste Disposal Act 239

Case Study The Total Maximum Daily Load Program 240

Techniques of Control 242

Case Study The Clean Air Act's Emissions-Trading System 253

Compliance 254

For Further Exploration 263

Test Your Knowledge 263

Suggested Readings 264

Notes 264

Chapter 7 Policy Impact, Evaluation, and Change 271

Policy Impact 271

Policy Evaluation 276

Policy Evaluation Processes 280

Case Study The GAO and Food Safety 283

Problems in Policy Evaluation 287

Policy Evaluation: The Use and Misuse of Cost-Benefit Analysis 292

Case Study The Politics of Evaluation: Head Start 297

Policy Termination 301

Case Study The Policy Cycle: Airline Regulation and Deregulation 304

For Further Exploration 313

Test Your Knowledge 313

Suggested Readings 313

Notes 314

Chapter 8 Concluding Comments 320

Notes 330

Index 332