NCJ Number
50894
Editor(s)
S S NAGEL
Date Published
1977
Length
703 pages
Annotation
DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES AND POLICY ORIENTATIONS ARE EXPLORED FOR SUCH AREAS AS SOCIAL LEGISLATION, EDUCATION POLICY IMPLEMENTATION, CIVIL LIBERTIES, FOREIGN POLICY, ECONOMIC REGULATION, AND POPULATION CONTROL.
Abstract
IN THE FIRST SECTION OF THIS VOLUME, THE POLICY STUDIES FIELD IS SUBDIVIDED IN TERMS OF GENERAL PERSPECTIVES THAT UNDERLIE ALL POLICY PROBLEMS. ONE SUCH PERSPECTIVE CONCERNS THE STAGES INVOLVED IN POLICY RESEARCH, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF BASIC CONCEPTS, THE DESIGNING OF RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPING AND TESTING HYPOTHESES, AND THE UTILIZATION OF POLICY RESEARCH. ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE EMPHASIZES STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC POLICIES RATHER THAN RESEARCH POLICY, INCLUDING POLICY FORMATION AND IMPLEMENTATION STAGES. OTHER PERSPECTIVES FOCUS ON THE CROSS-NATIONAL AND CROSSDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF POLICY STUDIES. IN THE SECOND SECTION, SPECIFIC POLICY PROBLEMS ARE EXAMINED, WITH ATTENTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE (FOREIGN POLICY, DEFENSE AND ARMS POLICY, LEGISLATIVE REFORM); ECONOMICS (HOUSING AND LAND USE, TAXING AND SPENDING POLICY); SOCIOLOGYPSYCHOLOGY (POVERTY AND WELFARE, CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, POPULATION POLICY); AND NATURAL SCIENCE OR ENGINEERING (HEALTH POLICY, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, ENERGY POLICY). POLICY RESEARCH ITEMS WERE SELECTED FROM THREE GENERAL SOURCES: RELEVANT JOURNALS, BOOK SERIES AND INDIVIDUAL BOOKS, AND UNPUBLISHED PAPERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE PRESENTED AT ACADEMIC CONVENTIONS OR DEVELOPED BY INTERDISCIPLINARY POLICY RESEARCH CENTERS. THE FOLLOWING SELECTION CRITERIA WERE INCLUDED: (1) A RECENT COPYRIGHT DATE, PREFERABLY 1975 OR 1976; (2) THE USE OF SOLID DATA TO SUPPORT THE ANALYSIS; (3) BROAD INTERDISCIPLINARY AND POPULAR CONCERN; (4) COMPLETENESS; (5) THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE ITEM HAD ALREADY BEEN CITED BY OTHERS AS BEING IMPORTANT; AND (6) THE REPUTATION OF THE AUTHOR AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, OF THE JOURNAL OR PUBLISHER. REFERENCES AND TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ACCOMPANY THE INDIVIDUAL SELECTIONS. (KBL)