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Studying Public Policy Connecting Theory to Practice

Authors

, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, , National University of Singapore, , Simon Fraser University, British Columbia
Published 2026

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,…

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Key features

  • An international and comparative approach covering global scholarship from classic agenda-setting to network governance, showing how applying multiple and diverse theoretical frameworks illuminate policymaking across democratic systems
  • Logical three-part structure that progresses naturally across a semester while allowing instructors flexibility to emphasize key topics
  • Examines each stage of the policy cycle in terms of dynamics, tools, and systemic interplay, helping students grasp the complexity of governance processes
  • Each chapter begins with clear learning objectives and ends with updated study questions and curated further readings to support critical engagement and seminar discussion
  • Fully revised to reflect latest developments in the field. Chapters on policy design and formulation have been rewritten, and each now concludes with a section on practical implications

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