9780130258823

This readable and conceptual approach to public policy carefully balances theory and practice-unlike most other books, which either lack theory or lack practicality. The authors combine positivist and postpositivist perspectives on policy analysis, supported by interesting and useful cases. Explores the political basis of policy making and analysis, with a careful eye toward readers' practical needs. Provides models and tools, along with the analytical knowledge necessary for policy analysis. Discusses the limitations, practical political problems, and ethical implications of different techniques and methodologies. Discusses value conflict, power, political systems, democracy, subjectivity, and ambiguity. A comprehensive reference for professionals in public administration or anyone interested in learning about public policy formulation.

Preface

vii

Part I Theory and Practice

1

(132)

Public Policy, Power, the People, Pluralism, and You

1

(42)

Case: ``Drug Abuse and Waterville''

1

(2)

Introduction

3

(1)

Value Conflict

3

(5)

A Political System

8

(3)

Public Policy and Linkage Mechanisms

11

(5)

Power and Policymaking

16

(1)

An Ideal (Direct) Democracy

16

(3)

Representative Democracy

19

(1)

Interest Group Democracy

20

(1)

Elitism

21

(3)

Elite Democracy: The Irony of Democracy

24

(1)

Effect of Power Structures on the Policy Analyst

25

(1)

Stakeholder Analysis

26

(4)

Concluding Thoughts

30

(1)

Key Concepts

30

(1)

Glossary Terms

31

(1)

References

31

(12)

Case: Nightcrawlers and Cappuccino: The Old West versus the New West

32

(11)

The Rational Public Policy Method

43

(15)

Genesis of the Rational Model

43

(4)

A Critical Reaction

47

(1)

The Rational Model

48

(4)

Mini-Case: McNamara's Retrospective: Rational Decision Making?

49

(3)

Rationality or Something Else?

52

(3)

Mini-Case: The Small Town Health Clinic

53

(2)

Model Evaluation

55

(1)

Concluding Thoughts

56

(1)

Key Concepts

57

(1)

Glossary Terms

57

(1)

References

57

(1)

Critiques of the Rational Approach

58

(21)

Examples of the Power of Nonrational Explanations

58

(2)

Critiques of the Rational Model

60

(17)

Mini-Case: Policy Analysis, Ethics, and Role

67

(10)

Concluding Thoughts

77

(1)

Key Concepts

77

(1)

Glossary Terms

77

(1)

References

77

(2)

The Monrational (Political) Approach

79

(54)

Essence and Overview of the Policy Process

79

(4)

Problem Identification/Gaining Agenda Status

83

(4)

Policy Formulation, Adoption, and Funding

87

(1)

Policy Implementation

88

(1)

Policy Evaluation, Adjustment, Termination

88

(5)

Mini-Case: The Pocatello Prison Sitting Story: A Case of Politics

89

(4)

Concluding Thoughts

93

(1)

Key Concepts

93

(1)

Glossary Terms

93

(1)

References

93

(40)

Case: The Expansion of Human Services in Allegheny County, 1968-95

94

(39)

Part II Practice and Theory

133

(188)

A Pragmatic Public Policy Analysis Method

133

(42)

The Rational Public Policy Analysis Method: History and Form

134

(2)

A Five-Step Method

136

(14)

Summary of the Five-Step Method

150

(1)

Concluding Thoughts

150

(1)

Key Concepts

151

(1)

Glossary Terms

152

(1)

References

152

(23)

Case: Playing Politics: Bison, Brucellosis, Business, and Bureaucrats

152

(23)

Postpositivist Problem Definition and Praxis

175

(59)

The Two Tracks of Policy Analysis

175

(7)

The Ambiguous and Subjective Nature of Events in the System

182

(8)

What Is the ``Truth'' and How Are Policies Generated?

190

(4)

Stone's Symbolic Representation of Problem Definition

194

(2)

Other Critics of Postivism

196

(2)

Postpositivist Tools

198

(7)

Using Language in Problem Definition: The Yellowstone Bison Controversy

205

(8)

Concluding Thoughts

213

(1)

Key Concepts

214

(1)

Glossary Terms

214

(1)

References

214

(10)

Case: School Shooting and Focus Group Research: A Postpositivist Method of Problem Definition

217

(7)

Governor's Statement on Diseased Bison

224

(2)

Focus Groups and the Yellowstone Bison Controversy

226

(3)

Content Analysis and the Bison Case

229

(5)

Doing Democracy: A New Fifth Step

234

(37)

Defining Democracy

234

(10)

Structuring Democracy

244

(6)

Democratizing Steps I-IV and the New Fifth Step

250

(3)

Doing Democracy: A Postpositivist Approach

253

(12)

Ethics as Democracy

265

(3)

Concluding Thoughts

268

(1)

Mini-Case: Southern-Fried Analyst

268

(1)

Key Concepts

268

(1)

Glossary Terms

269

(1)

References

269

(2)

The Positivist Toolbox

271

(50)

Introduction

272

(2)

Sheila the Policy Analyst

274

(1)

Sampling and Mail Surveys

274

(13)

Extrapolation and Forecasting

287

(3)

Measures of Central Tendency

290

(4)

Deflating Money

294

(3)

Per Capita Analysis

297

(1)

Discounting

298

(4)

Cost Benefit Analysis

302

(15)

Concluding Thoughts

317

(1)

Key Concepts

317

(1)

Glossary Terms

317

(1)

References

317

(1)

Problems

318

(2)

Answers to Problems

320

(1)

Part III Praxis

321

(3)

The Conclusion: Praxis

321

(3)

Mini-Case: Drug Abuse and Waterville

322

(1)

Concluding Thoughts

323

(1)

Appendix: Researching on the Net

324

(6)

Use of the Internet for Research

324

(1)

Evaluating Internet Sites

325

(2)

Key Sites

327

(2)

Concluding Thoughts

329

(1)

Glossary

330

(4)

Index

334

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PREFACE When we wrotePublic Policy Praxiswe were guided by several underlying principles. We believed that the book must be all of the following: practical as well as theoretical useful as well as cutting edge fun as well as thorough focused on the great issues and big themes as well as on specific techniques about the politics of the policy process as well as how to do policy analysis both readable and teachable Although our book targets future and current professional policy analysts, anyone who wants to understand and affect public policy (e.g., elected officials, citizen activists, interest group leaders, public administrators) must be a policy analyst. The genesis of this book was a discussion we had about policy cases. Although both of us believe in and utilize case studies, they are often too technical and fail to capture the essence of politics. They seldom require the application of the techniques the chapters introduce, or make clear the relationship of the concepts and theories covered in the chapters to what the students are to do with the cases. We complained that we had increasingly found ourselves writing our own cases. Moreover, the policy analysis texts available gave short shrift to politics, democracy, and how policy is made. We both believe that knowledge is as important as skills. So we were supplementing our cases with reserve readings, and writing lectures concerning politics, power, democracy, and the social construction of problems as well as policies. So we decided to write a case book with self-contained cases--that is, each case would be preceded by a discussion of a major topic. Students would complete the case--using the information, learning the material, and recognizing the importance of theory by doing. As it turned out, the self-contained case write-ups became full-scale chapters. The result is a public policy analysis book that we hope helps move the teaching of policy analysis in a direction that is more democratic--but ultimately practical. Our book is, essentially, a postpositivist view of social construction. Gone is the hegemonic, sometimes almost exclusive, emphasis on rational decision-making models. Instead the balance is tipped toward discussions of value conflict, power, political systems, democracy, subjectivity, and ambiguity. We think of policy analysis as requiring a combination of knowledge and skills. As in our classrooms, we teach "how to" but also teach the limitations, practical political problems, and ethical implications of different techniques and methodologies. Policy analysis is larger than, and often encompasses, program evaluation or productivity measurement. Our definition of policy analysis includes the initiation of policy as well as the review of or implementation of policy. Whatever the level of analysis, ultimately the goal usually is to establish a bottom line that facilitates decision making. This often leads to a focus on technical efficiency, cost-benefit analysis (CBA), and other efforts such as output measures, per unit cost estimates, client satisfaction surveys, statistical testing, and decision trees. Originally, policy analysis was seen as a way to assist democratic decision making. Somehow, along the way, policy analysis became part of elite and expert decision making. The theory and knowledge of politics, power structures, and the subjective human construction of public problem definitions was lost in a forest of rational decision models, complicated mathematical and analytical tools, microeconomics, and other scientific techniques. Yet good policy analysis requires investigation into the major actors and their roles, the political context (including economic conditions, social conditions, dominant values and beliefs), and the goals or purposes of the policy (which takes us to the crucial ideas of problem definition, values,

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Public Policy Praxis - Theory and Pragmatism : A Case Approach

Public Policy Praxis - Theory and Pragmatism : A Case Approach

0130258822

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