Understanding Public Policy, 14th Edition

Updated it its 14th edition, Understanding Public Policy focuses on the policy challenges confronting the Obama administration. This edition provides students with a close up look at the American healthcare system, current economic policies, issues of homeland security and defense policy among many other current event and issues shaping public policy today. The gold-standard for introductory public policy texts, Understanding Public Policy is designed to provide readers with concrete tools for both understanding and analyzing public policy.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Policy Analysis: What Governments Do, Why They Do It, And What Difference It Makes
Chapter 2 Models Of Politics: Some Help In Thinking About Public Policy
Chapter 3 The Policymaking Process: Decision-Making Activities
Chapter 4 Policy Evaluation: Finding Out What Happens After A Law Is Passed
Chapter 5 Federalism And State Policies: Institutional Arrangements And Policy Variations
Chapter 6 Criminal Justice: Rationality And Irrationality In Public Policy
Chapter 7 Welfare: The Search For Rational Strategies
Chapter 8 Health Care: Attempting A Rational-Comprehensive Transformation
Chapter 9 Education: Group Struggles
Chapter 10 Economic Policy: Challenging Incrementalism
Chapter 11 Tax Policy: Battling The Special Interests
Chapter 12 International Tradea Nd Immigration: Elite-Mass Conflict
Chapter 13 Energy And The Environment: Externalities And Interests
Chapter 14 Civil Rights: Elite And Mass Interaction
Chapter 15 Defense Policy: Strategies For Serious Games
Chapter 16 Homeland Security: Terrorism And Nondeterrable Threats