Public Policy
A Concise Introduction
- Sara R. Rinfret - University of Montana, USA
- Denise Scheberle - University of Colorado, Denver, USA
- Michelle C. Pautz - University of Dayton, USA
Courses:
Introduction to Public Policy
Introduction to Public Policy
July 2018 | 352 pages | CQ Press
“A comprehensive textbook consisting of both historical and contemporary information and data about American public policy. The format and approach of the text are ideal for undergraduate students because they provide concrete examples of public policy in a way that relates to everyday life.”
—Linda Trautman, Ohio University
Public Policy: A Concise Introduction is a student-friendly primer that quickly connects readers to the inner workings of public policy. The text condenses early chapters on theory and the policy-making process, allowing students to take up key policy challenges—such as immigration, education, and health care—much earlier in the semester. Structured chapter layouts of substantive policy areas allow instructors to supplement with their own examples seamlessly. The book’s emphasis on policy choices asks students to look beyond simple pros and cons to examine the multifaceted dimensions of decision making and the complexities inherent in real-world problem solving. Not every student starts out engaged in public policy, so place your students—both majors and non-majors alike—in the driver’s seat by fostering their analytical skills early, and spend the rest of the semester discussing policy issues, examining data, and debating current policy examples that matter most to them.
Give your students the SAGE edge!
SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of free tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. Learn more at edge.sagepub.com/rinfret.
—Linda Trautman, Ohio University
Public Policy: A Concise Introduction is a student-friendly primer that quickly connects readers to the inner workings of public policy. The text condenses early chapters on theory and the policy-making process, allowing students to take up key policy challenges—such as immigration, education, and health care—much earlier in the semester. Structured chapter layouts of substantive policy areas allow instructors to supplement with their own examples seamlessly. The book’s emphasis on policy choices asks students to look beyond simple pros and cons to examine the multifaceted dimensions of decision making and the complexities inherent in real-world problem solving. Not every student starts out engaged in public policy, so place your students—both majors and non-majors alike—in the driver’s seat by fostering their analytical skills early, and spend the rest of the semester discussing policy issues, examining data, and debating current policy examples that matter most to them.
Give your students the SAGE edge!
SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of free tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. Learn more at edge.sagepub.com/rinfret.
List of Figures and Tables
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
SECTION I: DEFINING U.S. PUBLIC POLICYMAKING
CHAPTER ONE: The Foundation
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: Public Policy and Our Everyday Lives |
| Starting with a Definition |
| Power and Politics |
| A Federal System |
| Categories of Public Policy |
| The Process |
| A Motley Crew: Institutional and Noninstitutional Actors |
| The Three Branches of Government |
| The Implementers |
| The Media, Interest Groups, and Us |
| Shaping Policy |
| What about Us? |
| Policy Analysis |
| Policy Evaluation |
| Why Studying Public Policy Matters |
| Plan of the Book |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
| Notes |
CHAPTER TWO: The Policy Process and Policy Theories
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: Policy Rhetoric and Reality |
| What Really Is Policy? |
| Understanding the Context of Public Policy |
| The Political Environment |
| The Economic Environment |
| The Social and Cultural Environment |
| The Administrative Environment |
| The Quest for Public Policy Theory |
| The Stages Heuristic Model of Public Policymaking |
| Sugary Drinks |
| Stage 1: Problem Identification and Definition |
| Stage 2: Agenda Setting |
| Stage 3: Policy Formulation |
| Stage 4: Policy Legitimation |
| Stage 5: Policy Implementation |
| Stage 6: Policy Evaluation |
| Assessing the Stages Model |
| Alternative Policy Process Models |
| Multiple Streams Framework |
| Pros and Cons of the MSF |
| Punctuated Equilibrium |
| Actors in the Policy Process |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
SECTION II: THE PRACTICE OF PUBLIC POLICY
CHAPTER THREE: Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: Up in Smoke: Federal and State Marijuana Policies Collide |
| Telling Stories with Data: Using Gallup Polling Data to Detect Trends |
| Overview of Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations |
| National Policymaking Constrained under the Articles of Confederation |
| Constitutional Foundation of Federalism |
| Intergovernmental Relations |
| Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations Evolve |
| Dual Federalism |
| Cooperative Federalism |
| Creative Federalism |
| Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations Today |
| Underfunded and Unfunded Mandates |
| Building Picket Fences |
| Increasing Capacity of State and Local Governments |
| Differences in State Cultures, Politics, Economies, and Events |
| Enduring Virtues of a Federal System |
| Safeguards Individual Rights and Democracy |
| Promotes Responsibility |
| Stimulates Innovation |
| Increases Efficiency and Effectiveness in Policy Implementation |
| Everyday Citizen Connection |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
CHAPTER FOUR: Rulemaking and Regulations
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: From Peanuts on a Plane to the Future of E-Cigarettes |
| Understanding the Context of U.S. Regulations |
| Defining Regulatory Policy |
| Delegation of Authority |
| Why Delegate? |
| Congress and Accountability |
| The President and Accountability |
| The Supreme Court and Accountability |
| Understanding Regulatory Processes |
| State Rulemaking |
| Influence and Participation |
| After a Rule Becomes a Law |
| Regulating Your Local Dry Cleaner |
| The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly |
| The Future of Regulatory Policy |
| Everyday Citizen Connection |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
| Notes |
SECTION III: UNDERSTANDING KEY PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES
CHAPTER FIVE: Economic Policy and Public Budgeting
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: Green Eggs and Ham and the Federal Government Shutdown in 2013 |
| Overview of Economic Policy and Public Budgeting |
| Types of Economies and Economic Policy Definition Economic Theories |
| Size and Scope of the U.S. Economy |
| Public Opinion and the Economy |
| Telling Stories with Data: Using The Bureau of Labor Statistics to Explore Regional Economic Data |
| Monetary and Fiscal Policy |
| The Federal Budget |
| Budget Process |
| Government Revenues and Expenditures |
| Revenues |
| Expenditures |
| Debt and Deficit |
| History and Development of Economic Policy |
| Founding Period |
| Growth of Government Spending |
| Great Recession and Government Response |
| Major Economic Policy and Budgeting Statutes |
| Major Actors in Economic Policy |
| Congress |
| President |
| Government Agencies |
| Issues and Challenges |
| Political Polarization |
| Debts and Deficits |
| Global Markets and Free Trade |
| Everyday Citizen Connection |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Policy Choices: The Federal Tax System |
| Policy Choices: Federal Tax Policy |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
CHAPTER SIX: Crime and Public Policy
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: Guns on Campus: Safety or Risk? |
| Overview of Crime in America |
| Types of Crime |
| The U.S. Crime Rate |
| Explaining Decreases in the U.S. Crime Rate |
| Public Perceptions about Crime |
| The U.S. Incarceration Rate |
| History and Development |
| Federalizing Crime |
| Public Attitudes about the Incidence of Crime |
| Media and Crime |
| Actors in Criminal Justice Policy |
| Federal Law Enforcement Agencies |
| State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies |
| Federal and State Courts |
| Crime Victims |
| Probation Officers and Parole Officers |
| Major U.S. Criminal Justice and Crime Policy Statutes |
| Capital Punishment |
| Issues and Challenges |
| Deterrence and Recidivism |
| Telling Stories with Data: The Death Penalty |
| Crime and Race |
| Juvenile Crime |
| Mass Shootings |
| Everyday Citizen Connection |
| Policy Choices: Gun Control |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
CHAPTER SEVEN: Education Policy
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: Behind the Curtain of a Public Education |
| Overview of U.S. Education Policy |
| Understanding the Structure of a U.S. Education Status and Scope |
| Telling Stories with Data: Using Maps to Explore Education Funding |
| History and Development of the U.S. Education System |
| Colonialism and Mann |
| Challenges and Change |
| Choice and a Digital Revolution |
| Major Education Policy Statutes |
| Major U.S. Education Laws |
| Major Actors in U.S. Education Policy |
| President |
| Congress |
| Courts |
| Bureaucracy |
| State Actors and Vested Interests |
| Governors and State Legislatures |
| State Expertise |
| Mayors, Superintendents, and Teachers |
| Interest Groups |
| What’s for Lunch? |
| Issues and Challenges |
| Paradigm Shift |
| Curriculum and Technology |
| Connecting the Dots |
| New Narrative |
| Everyday Citizen Connection |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Policy Choices: Student Evaluation |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
CHAPTER EIGHT: Civil Rights and Immigration Policy
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: The Desert and an Elusive Cat |
| Overview of Civil Rights |
| Civil Rights and Immigration |
| Status and Scope |
| Longitudinal Trends |
| Public Opinion Research |
| Immigration Sentiments |
| Telling Stories with Data: Using Gallup Polling Data to Detect Trends |
| History and Development of U.S. Immigration Policy |
| National Origin Quotas |
| Civil Rights, Amnesty, and Enforcement |
| 9/11, Dreamers, and Deportation |
| Major U.S. Immigration Policy Statutes |
| Select Major U.S. Immigration Laws |
| The Actors in Immigration Policy |
| President |
| Congress |
| Courts |
| Bureaucracy |
| Unofficial Actors in Immigration Policy |
| States |
| The Immigration Posse and the ACLU |
| Issues and Challenges |
| Security and Crime |
| Sanctuary Cities and Refugees |
| Small Town USA |
| Everyday Citizen Connection |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Policy Choices: Immigration Reform |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
| Notes |
CHAPTER NINE: Social Welfare and Health Care Policy
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: Living on $2 a Day |
| Overview of Social Welfare Policy |
| Defining Poverty |
| Who Is Poor? |
| Telling Stories with Data: Using Census Data |
| Public Values and Types of Social Welfare Programs |
| Public Support for Social Welfare Programs |
| History and Development of U.S. Social Welfare Policy |
| Poor Houses and “Outdoor Relief” |
| The New Deal and Social Security |
| Unemployment Insurance and AFDC |
| The Great Society and Connecting Health Care to Social Welfare |
| Welfare Reform through TANF |
| Overview of Health Care Policy |
| Government-Run Insurance Programs: Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP |
| The Affordable Care Act and Beyond |
| Key Provisions of the ACA |
| History and Development of U.S. Health Care Policy |
| Early Efforts to Establish Health Care |
| Health Reform Efforts after the Great Depression |
| The 1960s through 2017: Government Steps In |
| ACA Repeal Attempts under President Trump |
| Major U.S. Social Welfare and Health Care Statutes |
| Select Major U.S. Social Welfare and Health Care Laws |
| Major Actors in Social Welfare and Health Care Policy |
| The President |
| Congress |
| Courts |
| Federal Bureaucracies |
| State Governments |
| Unofficial Actors |
| Issues and Challenges |
| Income Inequality |
| The High Health Cost of Being Poor |
| Universal Health Care Coverage and Single-Payer Health Care |
| Everyday Citizen Connection |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Policy Choices: Social and Welfare Policy—Family Leave |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
CHAPTER TEN: Environmental and Energy Policy
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: A Web of Actors When Disaster Strikes |
| Overview of Environmental and Energy Policy |
| Understanding U.S. Environmental Policy |
| Status and Scope |
| Telling Stories with Data: Using U.S. Epa Air Quality Trends Data |
| History and Development of Environmental Policy |
| Birth of the Modern Environmental Movement (1960s and 1970s) |
| Changing Course (1980s) |
| Diffused Attention in the 1990s and Early 2000s |
| Executive Action in the 2010s |
| Understanding U.S. Energy Policy |
| Status and Scope |
| History and Development of Energy Policy |
| Crisis in the 1970s |
| Deregulation in the 1980s |
| Toward a Comprehensive Energy Policy in the 1990s |
| Energy and National Security Concerns in the 2000s |
| Major Environmental and Energy Policy Statutes |
| Major Actors in Environmental and Energy Policy |
| Congress |
| President |
| Federal Courts |
| Executive Agencies |
| Interest Groups and Lobbyists |
| Greenhouse Gases Go to Court |
| Issues and Challenges |
| Lack of a Coherent, Cohesive Policy |
| Politicization |
| Role of Science in Policy Debates |
| Trade-offs between the Environment and the Economy |
| The Commons |
| Everyday Citizen Connection |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Policy Choices: Nonpoint Source Pollution |
| Policy Choices Reflection Questions |
| Policy Choices: Nonpoint Source Water Pollution |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
CONCLUSION: Public Policy: A Concise Introduction
| Learning Objectives |
| Opening Vignette: On the Front Lines |
| Putting the Pieces Together |
| A Dynamic Enterprise |
| Why Public Policy Matters |
| Public Problems and Solutions |
| Finding the Facts |
| Consensus and Public Policy |
| Concluding Thoughts |
| Glossary Terms |
| Discussion Questions |
| Suggested Resources |
| Glossary |
References
Index
Supplements
Student Resource Site
- Mobile-friendly eFlashcards strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts
- Mobile-friendly practice quizzes allow for independent assessment by students of their mastery of course material
- EXCLUSIVE! Access to full-text SAGE journal articles have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter to encourage students to think critically
- Video and multimedia links that appeal to students with different learning styles
Instructor Resource Site
- Test banks provide a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity to edit any question and/or insert personalized questions to assess students’ progress and understanding
- Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation for the course
- Lecture notes summarize key concepts by chapter to help you prepare for lectures and class discussions.
- Sample course syllabi for semester and quarter courses provide suggested models for structuring one’s course
- Chapter-specific discussion questions help launch classroom interaction by prompting students to engage with the material and by reinforcing important content.
- Lively and stimulating chapter activities that can be used in class to reinforce active learning. The activities apply to individual or group projects.
- EXCLUSIVE! Access to full-text SAGE journal articles have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter to encourage students to think critically
- Video and multimedia links that appeal to students with different learning styles
“I like the progression of practical examples, public policy issues, and dynamics that position students to conceptualize both intellectually and academically. To be specific, Chapter 1 has established a foundation to enable the student to not just regurgitate facts but to invoke public policy facts to advance vibrant policy positions of their own.”
Governors State University
“A comprehensive textbook consisting of both historical and contemporary information and data about American public policy. The format and approach of the text are ideal for undergraduate students because they provide concrete examples of public policy in a way that relates to everyday life.”
Ohio University
“I think the features are fantastic and well placed in this textbook. I particularly like the chapter-opening vignettes, Everyday Citizen Connections, and Policy Choices feature. I think these make the text more accessible to students and generate more real student learning than a text that just presents the material in a static manner.”
Midwestern State University
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Sample Materials & Chapters
Chapter 2 - Public Policy Processes
Chapter 4 - Rulemaking and Regulations
