Public Policy
A Concise Introduction

Second Edition

Sara R. Rinfret - Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA
Denise Scheberle - University of Colorado, Denver, USA
Michelle C. Pautz - University of Dayton, USA

Courses:
Introduction to Public Administration | Introduction to Public Policy

January 2022 | 384 pages | CQ Press

Public Policy: A Concise Introduction, Second Edition by Sara R. Rinfret, Denise Scheberle and Michelle C. Pautz, is a student-friendly textbook that connects responsible citizens to the world through a contemporary examination of the fundamentals of American public policy. The authors help both majors and non-majors foster their analytical skills early and then spend the rest of the semester discussing the policy issues, data, and events that matter most to them.

The Second Edition has been updated to include how we can collectively use public policy to raise individuals from the margins and address inequities that exist in our system. Recent policy questions include: "How do we shape our country's health care system?", "How do we address increases in costs of tuition?", and "Did the COVID-19 pandemic positively or negatively shape our public education system?"

Available Formats

ISBN: 9781071835180 Electronic Version Suggested Retail Price: $104.00 Bookstore Price: $83.20

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email sageheoa@sagepub.com. Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html.

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SECTION I: DEFINING U.S. PUBLIC POLICYMAKING

CHAPTER 1 The Foundation

CHAPTER 2 The Policy Process and Policy Theories

SECTION II: THE PRACTICE OF PUBLIC POLICY

CHAPTER 3 Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations

CHAPTER 4 Rulemaking and Regulations

SECTION III: UNDERSTANDING KEY PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES

CHAPTER 5 Economic Policy and Government Budgeting

CHAPTER 6 Crime and Public Policy

CHAPTER 7 Education Policy

CHAPTER 8 Civil Rights and Immigration Policy

CHAPTER 9 Social Welfare and Health Care Policy

CHAPTER 10 Environmental and Energy Policy

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site
edge.sagepub.com/rinfret2e

The open-access Student Study Site makes it easy for students to maximize their study time, anywhere, anytime. It offers flashcards that strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts, as well as learning objectives that reinforce the most important material.

For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative.

Student Resource Site
edge.sagepub.com/rinfret2e

The open-access Student Study Site makes it easy for students to maximize their study time, anywhere, anytime. It offers flashcards that strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts, as well as learning objectives that reinforce the most important material.

For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative.

Not only is this a solid academic text, but it resonates mightily with my students because our enrollment is predominantly female. When seeing themselves through these authors, my students feel empowered. For this and other reasons, this book fills an important void in academic scholarship.

Hunter Bacot

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Review

The design and resources available will make it easier to teach policy process to majors and non-majors.

Dr Bianca Easterly

Political Science Dept, Lamar University

March 14, 2022

Report this review

Key features

Public policies – like education, energy, the environment, social welfare, health care, civil rights, and immigration – are spotlighted throughout the text. The Rinfret text is the only book in the market this focused on tackling issues that affect the common good.
The text condenses early chapters on theory and the policy-making process, allowing students to take up key policy challenges much earlier in the semester.
Chapter-opening vignettes connect readers to broader concepts by considering current examples of public policy in action, such as "How do we shape our country's health care system?", "How do we address increases in costs of tuition?", and "Did the COVID-19 pandemic positively or negatively shape our public education system?"
Learning Objectives preview the key points students will learn in each chapter.
Telling Stories with Data boxes invite students to evaluate data in order to decipher their impact on a particular policy issue or dilemma.
Policy Choices sections challenge students to think about the policy alternatives available— beyond the simplistic for-or-against approach so often conveyed in the media and public dialogue—encouraging them to think about potential remedies to important policy questions and the consequences of those choices.
Everyday Citizen Connection features link theory to practice in an effort to illustrate how people are affected by public policy and show students how they can engage in policy issues that matter to them.

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

New examples include more nuanced information about guns on college and school campuses, the Black Lives Matter movement, juvenile incarceration, the Biden Administration's position supporting the Affordable Care Act, and more.
This edition includes a greater focus on how we can collectively recognize our own biases, what equality and equity mean in the policy process, and our role in shaping it.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been woven throughout the text. Examples include discussion of mask mandates in the history of federalism section, how the pandemic has changed regulatory processes in the United States, and the impact of COVID on the public education system.