by Michael Munger
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Product Description
This is an advanced level textbook for third year students studying courses in public policy and public administration. It approaches the subject with plenty of material on how to do policy analysis, illustrating the mechanisms available for choosing policy. Conceptual foundations are described before students are introduced to possible conflicts between markets, democratic representatives and experts.
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Average Customer Review:
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Good introduction to policy analysis, 2008-05-20
Every so often, I have taught graduate (and even undergraduate) courses in policy analysis. While I have never assigned this book, it is commonly on my "short list" of possible texts. Thus, I obviously think that this book does its job well.
Michael Munger begins by laying out the questions that policy analysis tries to answer (Page xi): "First, what would be the best thing to do? Second, what is the best result that can actually be achieved?" He notes that this book tries to address those two central questions. He also observes that humans have only, in his view, a limited number of options for organizing human activity--including policy decisions: the market, leadership by authority (whether due to knowledge, power, repression, etc.), and democracy (somehow the people, whether directly or indirectly, affect government decisions). A bit simplistic in my view, but not a bad starting point.
The book explores a number of key issues. At the outset he discusses the nature of the profession of policy analysis, how we decide, and the role of markets. For many policy analysts, economic analysis, focusing on the market and whether or not it can deliver services on its own. When markets fail, so gores the logic, government steps in to set things right (e.g., if a monopoly abuses its powerful position). Also considered is how regulation does (and sometimes does not) work. One nice contribution is a reasonably transparent and understandable discussion of a basic tool of policy analysis, cost-benefit analysis.
Anyhow, this is a useful textbook. It can also be a nice resource for those who are not students, but who have some knowledge of the subject matter and an interest in gaining a more in depth understanding of the approach.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Refreshing Public Policy, 2002-05-16
As a student in introductory policy analysis, I fully enjoyed the author's approach to policy. Without an extensive background in economics or political science, the text was still quite manageable because it flowed. It gives enough background info in order to better understand concepts without being a long text. Entertaining, witty, and thorough throughout, the professor I know as a brilliant man who worked for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, enlightens with great precision. Blending a little history of economic and political theory with a skillful modern twist, this is introductory public policy analysis at its best. Highly recommended.
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