Description: Now in its fifth edition, this established text offers a comprehensive synthesis of policymaking theory and analysis for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. The book integrates foundational and contemporary scholarship through global examples that develop comparative analytical skills. Real-world case examples extend theoretical insights into practice. Its three-part structure builds knowledge systematically: from core concepts and methodologies through the policy cycle to contemporary governance challenges. Students explore theoretical frameworks including pluralism, institutionalism, and conceptual development, while examining continuity, policy feedback, advocacy, and belief systems. Each chapter features learning objectives, revised study questions, and selected readings. This edition reorganizes and expands global coverage, incorporates recent scholarship including constructivist and feminist approaches, and substantially revises chapters on policy design and formulation. A new concluding chapter reinforces practical applications. The text's manageable length supports single-semester courses while providing depth for graduate seminars.
Brief description: Michael Howlett is Burnaby Mountain Professor of Political Science and Canada Research Chair at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. His research specializes in public policy analysis, political economy, and resource and environmental policy. He is Editor-in-Chief of Policy Sciences and Co-Editor of Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, Policy & Society, and Policy Design and Practice. His current work focuses on policy formulation and design, particularly policy tools, instruments, and the processes behind their development.