It can be a major vehicle of democratic change for a nation. However, people must understand how to think about policy - how to design it and ensure its implementation. Like anything of power, if it is not done well, it can become the opposite of what was intended. This public policy book seeks to provide an introduction to policy for new analysts in this area. It offers an overview and then explores different kinds of policies.
Topics range from health to environment to children's policy.
This book provides the material in both areas. It examines policy design and analysis as well as the steps necessary for policy to be enacted. National and state experts have been invited to address specific policy areas. The majority have written introductions to their topic, several relevant articles, and chosen sample pieces of legislation that illustrate general policy directions or illuminate important issues about implementation and oversight. The editor, Elaine Zimmerman, has been a leader in public policy for twenty years.