Policy Analysis ─ Concepts and Practice

Often described as a Public Policy "bible," Weimer and Vining remains the essential primer it ever was. Now in its sixth edition, Policy Analysis provides a strong conceptual foundation of the rationales for, and the limitations to, public policy. It offers practical advice about how to do policy analysis, but goes a bit deeper, to demonstrate the application of advanced analytical techniques through the use of case studies. Updates to this edition include:

• A chapter dedicated to distinguishing between policy analysis, policy research, stakeholder analysis, and research about the policy process.
• The most current research findings from behavioral economics.
• An extensively updated chapter on policy problems as market and governmental failure that explores the popularity of Uber and its consequences.
• The presentation of a property rights perspective in the chapter on government supply to help show the goal tensions that arise from mixed ownership.
• An entirely new chapter on program evaluation.
• A substantially rewritten chapter on Cost-Benefit Analysis, to better prepare students to become producers and consumers of the types of cost-benefit analyses they will encounter in regulatory analysis and social policy careers.
• A substantially rewritten chapter on information gathering to reflect the use of the latest technologies.

Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practices remains a comprehensive, serious, and rich introduction to policy analysis for students in public policy, public administration, and business programs.

David Weimer is Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.

Aidan R. Vining is Professor at Simon Fraser University, Canada.