This collection of 46 key classic and contemporary readings explores the environment within which public policy is made and the actual policy-making process. This book includes readings that are among the most frequently cited or that highlight the link between theory and practice particularly well. It groups readings into four major sections which parallel both the majority of policy texts and the way many courses are designed: the nature of public policy - including theories and models of public policy making, the making of policy - the sequential stages that policies pass through, the players - both institutional and non-institutional, policy making as a game - the rules, strategies, and culture of the policy game. Each section begins with an overview essay.