Making Policy Public

This book challenges the convention that government bureaucrats seek secrecy and demonstrates how participatory bureaucracy manages the tension between bureaucratic administration and democratic accountability.

This brief text identifies the issues, resources, actors, and institutions involved in public policy making and traces the dynamics of the policymaking process, including the triggering of issue awareness, the emergence of an issue on the public agenda, the formation of a policy commitment, and the implementation process that translates policy into practice. Throughout the text, which has been revised and updated, Gerston brings his analysis to life with abundant examples from the most recent and emblematic cases of public policy making. At the same time, with well-chosen references, he places policy analysis in the context of political science and deftly orients readers to the classics of public policy studies. Each chapter ends with discussion questions and suggestions for further reading.

Understanding how public policy is made and managed is a key component in studying the disciplines of public management and administration. Such are the complexities associated with this topic, a deeper understanding is vital to ensure that practising public managers excel in their roles. This textbook synthesizes the key theories, providing a contemporary understanding of public policy and how it relates to private and other sectors. It integrates this with the management and implementation of public policy, including outlines of organizations, practices and instruments used. Pedagogical features include chapter synopses, learning objectives, boxed international cases and vignettes and further reading suggestions. This useful, concise textbook will be required reading for public management students and all those interested in public policy.

In this report the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) calls for a "wiki" approach to policy-making, where public opinion, ideas and contributions are sought and welcome at any and all stages of the policy cycle. The Government should be able to demonstrate that it has adopted this approach alongside ministerial leadership and responsibility for policy and its outcomes. All policy making carries risks: a lack of appetite for participation, disappointment arising from unrealistic expectations and the dominance of vested interests. Government must frankly assess and address these risks in relation to open policy making. Digital technology has a significant role to play in opening up policy-making. Government could and should go further and embrace radical and innovative approaches, making use of existing platforms and technologies, such as Twitter. The success and impact of public engagement in policy-making must be effectively measured. Government must able to demonstrate value for money and improved outcomes with this new approach, particularly in a time of austerity. The Committee says proposals for both "open" and "contestable" policy-making demonstrate that Government recognises the value of public opinion in helping to identify problems and develop solutions. However, for open policy-making to work, it must be a genuine departure from more traditional forms of policy-making, where public engagement has usually only occurred after the Government has already determined a course of action. Care must be taken to ensure that open policy-making processes are not dominated by vested interests or 'the usual suspects' who are aware of policy 'opportunities'.

This brand new text examines power and inequalities and how these are central to our understanding of how policies are made and implemented. It introduces the concepts and theoretical approaches that underpin the study of the policy process, reflects upon key developments and applies these the practice of policy formulation and implementation.

This volume discusses public policy making in Turkey. Using Turkey as an overarching case study, the author presents foundational concepts of public policy analysis. The method followed in the book is from general to specific: in each chapter, the relevant public policy stage or concept is explained and discussions from international literature are provided first. Then, Turkish cases are presented and clarified using theoretical concepts and debates. Additional examples from other municipalities are included for a comparative perspective. This volume will be of use to researchers and students studying public policy, policy analysis, and global public administration as well as professionals, policymakers, and diplomats working in the Turkish public sector.

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Mark Considine's new book explores the nature of public policy-making in a world undergoing cataclysmic change. Running through the text is the core assertion that policy-making can best be seen as a form of intervention into specific social and cultural contexts, and not as an engineered solution to universal problems. The book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to key issues and contemporary debates in public policy. The author draws on a wide range of examples from around the world to develop a framework for understanding the way social contexts, policy histories and institutional pathways generate opportunities. Separate chapters focus on public action, context, discourse, institutional pathways, networks, organizations, governance, citizen engagement and accountability. Clearly-written and compelling, this will be essential reading for upper-level undergraduate students taking courses in public policy, social policy, environmental studies, health studies, European studies and development.