Understanding Public Policy (11th Edition),   ISBN:9780131174528

Customer Rating: 

This was a great on line experience. I received my purchase within days after my purchase. The item was in great condition as stated in the advertisement. I would definitely purchase from this seller again.

Customer Rating: 

Fast shipping and the book came in perfect condition. This book really helped me to understand how things work. My professor suggested this reading and I think it helped. You do have to understand some basics before you read this book, but again it was a great aid.

Customer Rating: 

A must read for policy freaks. As well written as any text i have seen on Publid Policy. Written in a style that is very accessable.

Customer Rating: 

Well written book, however the author does slant some of his writings towards his own opinion. The editor should find a new job! Numerous typos throughout the book.

Customer Rating: 

Thomas Dye is an eminent political scientist. His textbook on public policy is one of the standards. It may not be elegantly written, but it remains one of the popular texts in the field.

Its key distinguishing figure is the contention that we need to be aware of different "models" of politics as these inform our understanding of public policy. Models are simplifications of reality to highlight certain key aspects of a phenomenon--in this case policy.

A series of models is outlined in chapter 2: institutionalism, process, rationalism, Incrementalism, group theory, elite theory, public choice theory, and game theory. One could add others, of course, but these are the ones used by Dye. The third chapter discusses the standard perspective on the stages of the policy process--from problem identification and agenda setting to policy evaluation.

Subsequent chapters examine different policy areas as these might be elucidated by various models of the policy process (e.g., group politics and education policy or Incrementalism in economic policy or game theory and defense policy, to illustrate).

While, in many senses, this is not an exciting volume, it provides a useful introduction to the policy process and those models that are often used to explain what happens.