Public policy : Politics, analysis, and alternatives

Table of contents
PART I: THE STUDY OF PUBLIC POLICY;
Chapter 1: PUBLIC POLICY AND POLITICS;
What Is Public Policy?;
Defining Basic Concepts;
Why Study Public Policy?;
The Contexts of Public Policy;
The Reasons for Government Involvement;
The Practice of Policy Analysis;
Chapter 2: GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND POLICY ACTORS;
Growth of Government;
Government Institutions and Policy Capacity;
Federalism;
Separation of Powers;
Informal Policy Actors and Policy Capacity;
Improving Policy Capacity;
Chapter 3: UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC POLICYMAKING;
Theories of Politics and Public Policy;
The Policy Process Model;
Instruments of Public Policy;
Policy Typologies;
Part II: ANALYZING PUBLIC POLICY;
Chapter 4: POLICY ANALYSIS: AN INTRODUCTION;
The Nature of Policy Analysis;
Steps in the Policy Analysis Process;
Types of Policy Analysis;
What Kind of Analysis Is Needed?;
Chapter 5: PUBLIC PROBLEMS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES;
Problem Analysis;
How to Find Information;
Constructing Alternatives;
Thinking Creatively about Policy Action;
Chapter 6: ASSESSING POLICY ALTERNATIVES;
Evaluative Criteria for Judging Policy Proposals;
Using the Methods of Policy Analysis;
Economic Approaches;
Decision Making and Impacts;
Political and Institutional Approaches;
Ethical Analysis;
PART III: ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES IN PUBLIC POLICY;
Chapter 7: ECONOMIC AND BUDGETARY POLICY;
Background;
Goals of Economic Policy;
Tools of Economic Policy;
The Budget Process and Its Effect on Economic Policy;
Economic Policy: Successes and Failures;
Economic Issues and Challenges;
Focused Discussion: How to Address the Budgetary Shortfall;
Chapter 8: HEALTH CARE POLICY;
Background;
Major Government Health Care Programs;
Other Health Care Policy Issues;
Rising Health Care Costs;
Managed Care Organizations;
Reducing Health Care Costs;
Quality of Care;
Focused Discussion: Should There Be Greater Emphasis on Preventive Health Care?;
Chapter 9: WELFARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY POLICY;
Background;
Social Security;
Welfare;
Chapter 10: EDUCATION POLICY;
Background;
Problems Facing Education;
Education Policy Reforms;
Higher Education Issues;
Focused Discussion: Higher Education Affordability, Cost, and Value;
Chapter 11: ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY POLICY;
Background;
The Evolution of Environmental and Energy Policy;
From Consensus to Conflict in Environmental Policy;
Major Federal Environmental Policies;
Energy Policy;
Focused Discussion: Climate Change and Energy Policy Alternatives;
Chapter 12: FOREIGN POLICY AND HOMELAND SECURITY;
Background and Policy Evolution;
Selected Issues in Homeland Security;
Focused Discussion: Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism;
PART IV: CONCLUSIONS;
Chapter 13: POLITICS, ANALYSIS, AND POLICY CHOICE;
Policy Analysis, Citizen Participation, and Change;
Public Policies and Their Impacts;
Policy Analysis and Policy Choices;
Citizen Participation in Decision Making