All too often, public policy textbooks offer a basic grounding in the policy process without the benefit of integrating the use of policy analysis. Kraft and Furlong, since their first edition, take a different tack. They want students to understand how and why policy analysis is used to assess policy alternatives—not only to question the assumptions of policy analysts, but to recognize how analysis is used in support of political arguments. To encourage critical and creative thinking on issues ranging from the financial bailout to rising gas prices to natural disasters, the authors introduce and fully integrate an evaluative approach to policy.

Public Policy starts with a concise review of institutions, policy actors, and major theoretical models. The authors then discuss the nature of policy analysis and its practice, and show students how to employ evaluative criteria in six substantive policy areas. Public Policy arms students with analytic tools they need to understand the motivations of policy actors—both within and outside of government—influence a complex, yet comprehensible, policy agenda.

Enhancements to the 4th edition:

• All chapters have been comprehensively updated to include recent events, issues, and policy debates including the conduct of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the use of private contractors for military support and operations, disputes over energy policy and climate change, the controversy over immigration policy, the debate over the Affordable Care Act, requirements for financial regulation, heightened concerns over economic and social inequality, and the clash over reforming taxes and entitlement programs, as well as dealing with the federal deficit and national debt.
• New and updated “working with sources” and “steps to analysis” features help students investigate sources of information and apply evaluative criteria.
• New and updated end-of chapter discussion questions, suggested readings, and web sites.

Enhancements to the 4th edition:

• All chapters have been comprehensively updated to include recent events, issues, and policy debates including the conduct of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the use of private contractors for military support and operations, disputes over energy policy and climate change, the controversy over immigration policy, the debate over the Affordable Care Act, requirements for financial regulation, heightened concerns over economic and social inequality, and the clash over reforming taxes and entitlement programs, as well as dealing with the federal deficit and national debt.
• New and updated “working with sources” and “steps to analysis” features help students investigate sources of information and apply evaluative criteria.
• New and updated end-of chapter discussion questions, suggested readings, and web sites.

CQ Press is pleased to comply with the Higher Education Opportunity Act. Please email heoacompliance@cqpress.com for additional information that may be available. Be sure to include your name, contact information, academic affiliation, and the title, author, and edition of the book in question.

Contact us at collegesales@cqpress.com if we may assist you in your book selection or if you have feedback to share. Thank you for your consideration of CQ Press books.

Every chapter ends with a conclusion, discussion questions, suggested readings, suggested websites, and keyword lists.

PART I. THE STUDY OF PUBLIC POLICY

1. Public Policy and Politics
What Is Public Policy?
Defining Basic Concepts
The Contexts of Public Policy
The Reasons for Government Involvement
Why Study Public Policy?
The Practice of Policy Analysis

2. Government Institutions and Policy Actors
Growth of Government
Government Institutions and Policy Capacity
Federalism
Separation of Powers
Informal Policy Actors and Policy Capacity
Improving Policy Capacity

3. Understanding the Politics of Public Policy
Theories of Politics and Public Policy
The Policy Process Model
Instruments of Public Policy
Policy Typologies

PART II. ANALYZING PUBLIC POLICY

4. Policy Analysis: An Introduction
The Nature of Policy Analysis
Steps in the Policy Analysis Process
Types of Policy Analysis
What Kind of Analysis Is Needed?

5. Public Problems and Policy Alternatives
Problem Analysis
How to Find Information
Constructing Alternatives
Creative Thinking about Policy Action

6. Assessing Policy Alternatives
Evaluative Criteria for Judging Policy Proposals
Using the Methods of Policy Analysis
Economic Approaches
Decision Making and Impacts
Political and Institutional Approaches
Ethical Analysis

PART III. ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES IN PUBLIC POLICY

7. Economic and Budgetary Policy
Background
Goals of Economic Policy
Tools of Economic Policy
The Budget Process and Its Effect on Economic Policy
Economic Policy: Successes and Failures
Future Economic Issues and Challenges
Focused Discussion: How to Address the Budgetary Shortfall

8. Health Care Policy
Background
Major Government Health Care Programs
Rising Health Care Costs
Managed Care Organizations
Reducing Health Care Costs: Beyond HMOs
Quality of Care
Focused Discussion: Should There Be Greater Emphasis on Preventative Health Care?

9. Welfare and Social Security Policy
Background
Social Security
Welfare
Focused Discussion: Addressing the Elephant in the Room - Social Security

10. Education Policy
Background
Problems Facing Education
Higher Education Issues
Education Policy Reforms
Focused Discussion: Higher Education Affordability, Cost, and Values

11. Environmental and Energy Policy
Background
The Evolution of Environmental and Energy Policy
From Consensus to Conflict in Environmental Policy
Major Federal Environmental Policies
Energy Policies
Focused Discussion: Climate Change and Energy Policy Alternatives

12. Foreign Policy and Homeland Security
Background and Policy Evaluation
Selected Issues in Homeland Security
Focused Discussion: Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism

PART IV. CONCLUSIONS

13. Politics, Analysis, and Policy Choice
Public Policies and Their Impacts
Policy Analysis and Policy Choices
Citizen Participation in Decision Making
Conclusions

Instructor's Resources available for adopters!

For adopters: Instructor's Resources Save Time and Ease Class Prep. Resources include:
PowerPoint lecture slides, a test bank , including conceptual and factual multiple-choice, short answer, and essay. To register, please click the link below.

http://college.cqpress.com/instructors-resources/publicpolicy/

Student Resources are available at:

Online student resources include chapter summaries, interactive quizzes, keyword flashcards, crossword puzzles, exercises with response boxes, and annotated web links for further research.  

Public Policy, 4e + Electronic Edition
Kraft, Furlong
978-1-4522-7730-1, $92

Public Policy, 4e + Issues for Debate in American Public Policy, 14e
Kraft, Furlong, CQ Researcher
ISBN: 978-1-4522-9078-2, $107

Public Policy, 4e + Up in Smoke, 3e
Kraft, Furlong, Derthick
ISBN: 978-1-4522-9108-6, $107

Public Policy, 4e + Collision Course
Kraft, Furlong, Manna
ISBN: 978-1-4522-9109-3, $103

Kraft: Public Policy, 4e + Lobbying and Policymaking
Kraft, Furlong, Godwin, Godwin, Ainsworth
ISBN: 978-1-4522-7047-0, $98

Public Policy, 4e + Practical Guide for Policy Analysis, 4e
Kraft, Furlong, Bardach
ISBN: 978-1-4522-7861-2, $94