Designing Public Policies: Principles and Instruments

The third edition of this highly regarded book provides a concise and accessible introduction to the principles and elements of policy design in contemporary governance. It examines the range of substantive and procedural policy instruments that governments use to resolve policy problems and the principles and practices that lead to their use. It also considers the merits, demerits, and rationales for the use of specific types of instruments, such as organizational, regulatory, financial, and information-based tools, and the trends visible in their use. The book addresses key issues such as policy success and failure, policy volatility and risk management, how behavioral research can contribute to better policy designs, and the micro calibrations of policies and their importance in designs and outcomes. It is essential reading for all students of public policy, administration, and management.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 516 pages
Publication date: 11 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The third edition of this esteemed book offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the principles and elements of policy design in contemporary governance. It delves into the diverse range of substantive and procedural policy instruments that form the toolbox from which governments select tools to address policy challenges. Moreover, it explores the principles and practices that guide their utilization.

Guiding readers through the examination of the various types of instruments employed by governments to carry out their tasks, adapt to, and alter their environments, this book:

Considers the principles and practices behind the selection and use of specific types of instruments in contemporary government and arrangements of policy tools, particularly procedural tools and policy portfolios.

Evaluates in detail the merits, demerits, and rationales for the use of specific organizational, regulatory, financial, and information-based tools, as well as the trends observable in their use.

Examines key issues such as policy success and failure, the role of design in it, policy volatility and risk management through policy design, how behavioral research can contribute to better policy designs, and the micro calibrations of policies and their significance in designs and outcomes.

Addresses the issues not only surrounding individual tools but also concerning the evolution and development of instrument mixes, their relationship to policy styles, and the challenges involved in their (re)design, as well as the distinction between design and non-design.

Providing a comprehensive overview of this essential component of modern governance, this book features helpful definitions of key concepts and further reading, making it an essential resource for all students of public policy, administration, and management.

Weight: 997g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032380865
Edition number: 3 ed