Approaches in Public Policy

by Steve Leach (Editor), John Stewart (Editor)

Overview

First published in 1982, Approaches in Public Policy is an integrated, purpose-written text on the context, process, and practice of policymaking in the public sector, particularly at the local level. It has two main purposes. It aims to provide a stimulating and critical evaluation of trends in the analysis and formulation of policy by examining the realities behind such influential concepts and ideas as ‘rationality’, ‘information systems’, ‘distributional impact of services’ and ‘monitoring’. At the same time, it attempts through case study illustration to provide perceptive and detailed insights into the way such approaches have worked out in practice in a range of examples of policy initiatives in area management, regional planning, health care planning and Comprehensive Community Programmes.

The book fills a significant gap in the literature by providing a well-structured set of papers which link theoretical arguments to an evaluation of topical examples of the policy process in action. It will be of interest to students and researchers of public administration, public policy making, planning, and similar topics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032994697
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/01/2025
Series:	Routledge Revivals
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Steve Leach is Emeritus Professor of Local Government at De Montfort University, UK. He worked at the Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) from 1977 to 1996, by which time he held the position of Reader. He has worked previously as a town planner in local government and as a polytechnic lecturer in town planning.

John Stewart was a unique figure in the world of British local government with a profound influence on both theory and practice. He served as the Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies and Professor of Local Government at the University of Birmingham, UK. He was a member of the Layfield committee on Local Government Finance (1974–1976).

Table of Contents

Introduction  1. In Defence of the Rational Model  2. Guidelines to Policy Derivation  3. Corporate Planning in Local Government  4. The Distributional Effects of Local Government Services  5. The Use of Information in Policy and Management Systems  6. Monitoring and the Planning Cycle  7. Planning Context and Planning Methodology in Regional Planning  8. Country–District Relations in Town Planning  9. Area Management and Responsive Policy-Making 10. Comprehensive Community Programmes  11. Planning Health Care Services  12. Choice in the Design of Policy-Making Systems