Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice

by David L. Weimer, Aidan R. Vining

Overview

Often described as a public policy "bible," Weimer and Vining remains the essential primer it ever was. Now in a thoroughly revised seventh edition, Policy Analysis provides a strong conceptual foundation of the rationales for and the limitations to public policy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032756677
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/18/2025
Edition description:	7th ed.
Pages:	500
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

David L. Weimer is Edwin E. Witte Professor of Political Economy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. His contributions to public policy scholarship have been widely recognized as he has received the Policy Field Distinguished Contribution Award from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management and the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis.

Aidan R. Vining is Emeritus CNABS Professor of Business and Government Relations at Simon Fraser University, Canada. He is a winner of the John Vanderkamp Prize (Canadian Economics Association) and the J.E. Hodgetts Award (Institute of Public Administration of Canada). He has published widely.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Introduction to Public Policy Analysis

Chapter 1: Preview

Chapter 2: What is Policy Analysis?

Chapter 3: Toward Professional Ethics

Part 2: Conceptual Foundations for Problem Analysis

Chapter 4: Efficiency and the Idealized Competitive Model

Chapter 5: Rationales for Public Policy: Market Failures

Chapter 6: Rationales for Public Policy: Other Limitations of the Competitive Framework

Chapter 7: Rationales for Public Policy: Distributional and Other Goals

Chapter 8: Limits to Public Intervention: Government Failures

Chapter 9: Policy Problems as Market and Government Failure: The Madison Taxicab Policy Analysis Example

Part 3: Conceptual Foundations for Solution Analysis

Chapter 10: Correcting Market and Government Failures: Generic Policies

Chapter 11: Adoption

Chapter 12: Implementation

Chapter 13: Government Supply: Drawing Organizational Boundaries

Part 4: Doing Policy Analysis

Chapter 14: Gathering Information for Policy Analysis

Chapter 15: Landing on Your Feet: Organizing Your Policy Analysis

Chapter 16: Case Study: The Canadian Pacific Salmon Fisher

Chapter 17: Cost-Benefit Analysis: Assessing Efficiency

Chapter 18: Public Agency Strategic Analysis: Identifying Opportunities for Increasing Social Value

Part 5: Conclusion

Chapter 19: Doing Well and Doing Good

Editorial Reviews

"Weimer and Vining's Policy Analysis has long been a core textbook for students learning policy analysis and for good reason. Policy Analysis has a balanced approach of teaching core economic principles, demonstrating the important role of politics of adoption and implementation, and training students in key research and communication skills needed to construct applied analyses. This new edition maintains the core strengths and includes updated cases studies, new research on addiction as a policy rationale, and an updated chapter on gathering evidence to support policy making. It remains a classic."
Andrew Pennock, University of Virginia, USA

"This new condensed edition effectively provides well-structured foundations to new readers in better understanding the subject of policy analysis supported by theoretical frameworks explained separately for problem analysis and solution analysis. The book ensures its relevance to the wide audience of policy makers, experts and graduate students with diverse backgrounds dealing with policy issues."
Veli Kreci, South East European University, North Macedonia

"Since 1992, Weimer and Vining's Policy Analysis has been the most thorough, comprehensive, and respected textbook for serious students of public policy. The book provides a detailed understanding of theory and practice in addressing society's complex and contemporary public problems. The seventh edition continues to underscore the critical importance of professional policy analysis in informing the changing world of governance and analytics."
Michael A. Pagano, Dean Emeritus, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, University of Illinois Chicago, USA

"Policy Analysis is an essential text for students and practitioners in the field of public policy. While many authors offer excellent guidance on the practice of policy analysis, Weimer and Vining go beyond practice to show us how economic theory provides a theoretical foundation for our work and the tools to better align the problems we face with effective solutions."
Mia Bird, Assistant Research Professor, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley, USA

"Intensified uncertainty makes policy analysis a must for those who seek to improve public well-being. Weimer and Vining, once again not only lay the foundations of policy analysis but also provoke us with state-of-the-art policy analysis."
Anat Gofen, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

From the Publisher