Public Policy: Politics, Analysis, And Alternatives, 4th Edition Download Free (EPUB, PDF)

                
              
Public Policy: Politics, Analysis, And Alternatives, 4th Edition Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
All too often, public policy textbooks offer a basic grounding in the policy process without the benefit of integrating the use of policy analysis. Kraft and Furlong, since their first edition, take a different tack. They want students to understand how and why policy analysis is used to assess policy alternatives - not only to question the assumptions of policy analysts, but to recognize how analysis is used in support of political arguments. To encourage critical and creative thinking on issues ranging from the financial bailout to rising gas prices to natural disasters, the authors introduce and fully integrate an evaluative approach to policy. "Public Policy" starts with a concise review of institutions, policy actors, and major theoretical models. The authors then discuss the nature of policy analysis and its practice, and show students how to employ evaluative criteria in six substantive policy areas. "Public Policy" arms students with analytic tools they need to understand the motivations of policy actors-both within and outside of government-influence a complex, yet comprehensible, policy agenda. Enhancements to the 4th edition: all chapters have been comprehensively updated to include recent events, issues, and policy debates including the conduct of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the use of private contractors for military support and operations, the rising cost of gasoline and disputes over energy policy and climate change, the controversy over immigration policy, requirements for financial regulation, heightened concerns over economic and social inequality, and the clash over reforming taxes and entitlement programs, as well as dealing with the federal deficit and national debt; new and updated "working with sources" and "steps to analysis" features that help students to investigate sources of information and apply evaluative criteria; and, new and updated end-of chapter discussion questions, suggested readings, and web sites.
Paperback: 563 pages
Publisher: CQ Press (July 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1452202745
ISBN-13: 978-1452202747
Product Dimensions:  9 x 7.5 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
Average Customer Review:  4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #79,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)   #58 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Public Affairs & Policy > Public Affairs & Administration   #177 in Books > Textbooks > Social Sciences > Political Science > Public Policy   #188 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Public Affairs & Policy > Social Services & Welfare
This is a fine textbook in public policy--largely because of its coverage of substantive policy areas. It is also hideously overpriced. As a college instructor, I am often stunned by what publishers do to their customers. There are many other texts that are equivalent but much less expensive. As a result, I would never adopt this text.Nonetheless, it is a fine volume. Part I considers the study of public policy. Three chapters are included: (1) a chapter on policy and politics; (2) another on relevant government institutions and policy actors; (3) chapter that focuses on understanding public policymaking (e.g., theories of policy, stages of the policy process, tools of policy).Part II looks at analyzing public policy. Three chapters also comprise this part: (1) an introduction to policy analysis; (2) problems and policy alternatives to address these; (3) assessing alternatives (including cost-benefit analysis).Finally, Part III. Here, we learn about various substantive policy fields. Included here: Economic and budgetary policy; Health Care Policy; Welfare and social security policy; Education policy; Environmental and energy policy; Foreign policy and homeland security. Each gives a sense of the issues associated with each policy arena.The last chapter concludes with a general evaluation of larger issues, such as citizen participation in public policy, policy and its impacts, and so on.The cost is way too high. The first two sections provide an introduction to the subjects, but (in my mind) do not provide enough detail for the reader to get a good idea of the issues at stake.Still and all, a good textbook with some drawbacks. . . .
Kraft and Furlong offers various perspectives on public policy issues. Though I've heard some of my classmates complain that this is not an easy read, I find it to be good reading material. This book will definitely help public policy students to understand the course materials and excel.
Hands down the driest textbook it has ever been my misfortune to be assigned. Every week it's a struggle to force myself through the assigned chapter. The tone is relentlessly banal.Worse, it recycles tired and damaging stereotypes that can only serve to reinforce, rather than challenge, people's views.
I recommended this book to a friend who works in transportation planning and has to assist decisionmakers (her boss) in evaluating policy decisions. Making policy decisions is more than a gut feeling. This book provides you tools to approach problems, find alternatives, analyze the alternatives, and decide between them. Really helps you articulate the differences between alternatives. It is hard to imagine a decision that these tools wouldn't be helpful to evaluate.Many people need to show accountability for the choices they make, and this book explains how to do that as a part of a repeatable process.
Great book to those who are in Public Administration field. I compared it to many other books I have read in the same field and found this one to be an excellent book; I even value it better than my other book: Dye's "Understanding Public Administration".I would recommend this one than others.
an excellent textbook on public policy and government. The website included in each chapter are reliable and can be help not only in graduate level work but as an aid in teaching political science at any level
If you like politics or are interested just a little bit, the readings in here are up to date and quick to read. It helps give a good understanding of how and why policies are made. It also helps define a lot of the political jargon you hear a lot. =)
Brainstorming is a creative thinking process that can be compared to the operational measures of the supply and demand perspectives.Yet without the literature review to go on it is only a ideal situation without the problem analysis to actually be gone overfor the causes surrounding the possible policy design now in a non~action analysis. Can see from those points as the multipliesare filled in where the cost ~ effectiveness is within and around the analysis. Noticing from there the impacy analysis that is aethical analysis involving certain risks to assessed as it is gone over.So again the brainstorming is a creative thinking process that uses a elite theory to understand the rational choice theory that is therewhen the point by point points are gone over. Seen at times as a policy cycle with systemic agenda the operational measures will become moreknown as the supply and demand perspectives are approached when the literature review of the ideal situation unknwn edges are placed in.Noticing once again the problem analysis causes with the policy design more known now as a gradual seperation from the non~action analysis.Concentrating on the operational measures to see where and when the supply & demand perspectives come in with the literature reviewas the ideal situation(s) is gone over in a brainstorming creative thinking manner approach.
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