17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
A Primer of U.S. Policy-Making, 2000-10-10
The Policy Making-Process is a classic primer on the policy making process in the United States. The author, Charles Lindblom is considered a classic thinker in American Policy, who emphasizes diversity in decision making in order to create "intelligence." In short, he advocates getting more people involed in the process, as well as soliciting a wider point of view.The book is set up in four parts. First, he introduces the nature of policy-making, writing of the challenges, limits, and potential of American policy-making. Second, he writes about the impact of government and politics on the policy process in creating change, or more often holding on to the status quo. The third section describes the broader influences of polciy making, and articulates that policy making by "The People" is often an up-hill battle. In the fourth section Lindblom offers advice how to improve the policy process.
I believe this is an excellent primer on the topic because it simplifies a very difficult process, and creates a broad understanding, which a reader may use as a basis to delve further into policy-making.
Lindblom's work is very reader-friendly. It is short, to the point, and easy to read.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
policy-making as a political counteraction, 2000-05-15
This book makes a comparison between effectiveness of analysis and play of power in making public policy. In this book, the author raises the hand of the play of power because he thinks that the most objective analysis also must be influenced by the opinion, selection and personality of policy analysis professionals. I agree. I believe that the human being is not the God. If there are socialists or analysis professionals say that they have perfect analysis, I regard them as ambitious people being eager to control and suppress the public under so-called the flag of truth. Therefore we have to find other ways in order to explain the policy making process. The author finds the way in the political counteraction among interests who are affected by the policy. He named this situation as the play of power. In this rule, they ultimately enjoyed the policy favoring them as everyone takes an effort to effect particular policy. He also argues that the inequality in the play of power is natural. Because there are many differences-for instance, organization, manpower, available money, accessibility to the policy-making process, etc-among social groups. Generally these differences are under hand of the elite and constantly are reproduced and reinforced by educational condition, wealth and socialization. Also he criticizes contradiction of the voting process. The reason is that there are many policies but voters have only one vote. He says, therefore voters are naturally excluded in the policy-making process. In this book, Lindblem shows his insight into policy-making process. Although he emphasizes the political counteraction in the policy-making process, he does not ignore the effectiveness. What he really emphasizes is the harmony between analytical and political approach. When we look at the policy-making through this harmony between two opinions, we will reach the real understanding of one. But he leaves difficult problem to us. That is a solution about overcoming the inequality in the policy-making.