Policy formulation relies upon the interplay of knowledge-based analysis of issues with power-based considerations, such as the political assessment of the costs and benefits of proposed actions, and its effects on the partisan and electoral concerns of governments. Policy scholars have long been interested in how governments successfully create, deploy and utilise policy instruments, but the literature on policy formulation has, until now, remained fragmented. This comprehensive Handbook unites original scholarship on policy tools and design, with contributions examining policy actors and the roles they play in the formulation process.

This Handbook covers the accounts, by practitioners and observers, of the ways in which policy is formed around problems, how these problems are recognized and understood, and how diverse participants come to be involved in addressing them. H.K. Colebatch and Robert Hoppe draw together a range of original contributions from experts in the field to illuminate the ways in which policies are formed and how they shape the process of governing.

A PDF version of this book is available for free in open access via the Elgaronline platform - www.elgaronline.com/view/9781783477036.xml Policy analysts are accustomed to thinking in terms of tools and instruments. Yet an authoritative exa

Uniting theoretical bases and advancements in practice, the Routledge Handbook of Policy Design brings together leading experts in the academic field of policy design in a pioneering effort of scholarship. Each chapter provides a multi-topic overview of the state of knowledge on how, why, where or when policies are designed and how such designs can be improved. These experts address how a new emphasis on effective policy design has re-emerged ​in public policy studies in recent years ​and ​clarify the role of historical policy decisions, policy capacities and government intentions in promoting a design orientation towards ​policy formulation and policy-making more generally. They examine many previously unexplored aspects of policy designs and designing activities, which focus upon analyzing and improving the sets of policy tools adopted by governments to correct policy problems. Ranging from the fundamentals of policy design and its place in greater policy studies, to new questions regarding policy design content and ​effectiveness, to contemporary design trends such as the use of digital tools and big data, the Routledge Handbook of Policy Design is a comprehensive reference for students and scholars of public policy, public administration and public management, government and business.

This visionary Research Handbook presents the state of the art in research on policy design. By conceiving policy design both as a theoretical and a methodological framework, it provides scholars and practitioners with guidance on understanding policy problems and devising accurate solutions.

The study of public policy and the methods of policy analysis are among the most rapidly developing areas in the social sciences. Policy analysis has emerged to provide a better understanding of the policymaking process and to supply decision makers with reliable policy-relevant knowledge about pressing economic and social problems. Presenting a broad, comprehensive perspective, the Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Politics, and Methods covers the historical development of policy analysis, its role in the policy process, and empirical methods. The handbook considers the theory generated by these methods and the normative and ethical issues surrounding their practice. Written by leading experts in the field, this book- Deals with the basic origins and evolution of public policy Examines the stages of the policy-making process Identifies political advocacy and expertise in the policy process Focuses on rationality in policy decision-making and the role of policy networks and learning Details argumentation, rhetoric, and narratives Explores the comparative, cultural, and ethical aspects of public policy Explains primary quantitative-oriented analytical methods employed in policy research Addresses the qualitative sides of policy analysis Discusses tools used to refine policy choices Traces the development of policy analysis in selected national contexts The Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Politics, and Methods describes the theoretical debates that have recently defined the field, including the work of postpositivist, interpretivist, and social constructionist scholars. This book also explores the interplay between empirical and normative analysis, a crucial issue running through contemporary debates.

In this comprehensive Handbook, international experts examine theoretical and empirical research to analyse a core element of the public policy process: implementation. Traversing numerous sub-disciplines and traditions including top-down and bottom-up approaches to public policy implementation research, the chapters present a synthesis of the state of scholarship and stimulate future thinking in the field. The Handbook of Public Policy Implementation covers both mainstream approaches and newly emerging perspectives towards implementation. Placing emphasis on the intersection between politics and implementation, authors outline how policy success depends on practical application as much as it depends on design. Chapters link the policy process to the different branches of government, investigating various forms of policy implementation across international political systems. They dissect the organizational and individual levels of implementation, using examples from various countries as well as multilevel regimes such as the European Union. Providing an informed overview of the breadth of research on policy implementation, this Handbook is a key resource for academics, researchers, and students of public policy, public administration and management, political science and sociology, and regulation and governance. It is also a crucial resource for policy practitioners and implementing agents.