ME Sharpe Professor

Now redesigned for increased user friendliness, this readable and practical introduction to the public policy process is intended for students in either traditional academic or professional programs at the undergraduate or graduate level. The author's direct writing style and extensive use of examples will also appeal to practitioners.

The book offers an extensive overview of the best current thinking on the policy process, with an emphasis on accessibility and synthesis rather than novelty and abstraction. It has many features that make it equally useful as a ready reference, including myriad definitions throughout each chapter; an annotated bibliography; an introduction to web-based research, with a guide to the most important and reliable public policy research sites; and additional reading suggestions. New for this edition are chapter-at-a-glance introductions; new case studies for major chapters; new Questions-for-Discussion; and sidebars for definitions.

“Without a doubt the most readable, accessible and substantive introductory policy text on the market. Thomas Birkland's book provides students with all of the basic tools for understanding the practice and study of public policy.” — Tom Hogen-Esch, California State University, Northridge (*)

“In a concise, readable manner, Birkland conveys the essential who, what, when, where, why, and how of public policy-making. As both a policy practitioner and a teacher, I appreciate the book's discussion of real-world examples within the framework of important concepts from the policy literature. Even better, my students like it, too.” — John W. Hardin, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Chief Policy Analyst, North Carolina Board of Science and Technology

“An excellent introduction to all aspects of the public policy process. Birkland provides historical perspective, analyzes the stages in the public policy process, fully addresses the political conflicts surrounding public policy—and does so in a concise, highly readable textbook.” — Craig Ramsay, Ohio Wesleyan University