American Public Policy: Promise and Performance

by B. Guy Peters

In this seventh edition of his classic introduction to the process and content of public policy in America, B. Guy Peters provides the background and context needed for any introduction to the subject. Deftly handling such core topics as the governmental structures and procedures through which policy is designed and implemented, Peters also examines substantive policy areas--including health care, education, social security and welfare, energy and the environment, and defense and law enforcement--to give students a solid foundation as well as a real sense of the issues and tradeoffs facing today's policymakers. Readers will appreciate the seventh edition's updated material on the George W. Bush administration along with cases and material drawn from recent events and scholarship. In addition to analysis of the impact of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the continuing efforts to implement results-based legislation such as the "No Child Left Behind" policy, and an expanded discussion of the changing role of ideology, this revision also includes valuable new material on the defense budget, earmarking in the budgeting process, and the President's Tax Reform Commission. Showing students why such politically divisive issues as abortion, gay marriage, and school prayer are so unyielding to bargaining and compromise, Peters includes a unique and insightful chapter on social policy and the culture wars. Finally, updated graphics, tables, and charts throughout will ensure that readers have access to the latest data in the field.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Textbooks, Grad School

466 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Luigi Berinde · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know it might be cringe to mark a textbook as read, but my professor literally made us read this book (12th edition, not 7th) from START to END, so you’re CRAZY if you think im not gonna mark this as read.

I HATED THIS. HATED IT. Public policy is one of those things that’s not really complicated but is made out to be complicated just so people can claim they are experts. This whole book was just a whole lot of sentences amounting to absolutely nothing. HATED IT!

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a textbook on public policy that has gone through many editions. The substance is very good; sometimes the writing style is a bit of a challenge.

The b ook is organized sensibly. The first part explores what we mean by public policy, the key structures that affect policymaking in the U.S. (e.g., federalism and separation of powers), and models of policy-making.

Part Two? The making of public policy is the focus. Stages of the policy process are considered--as well as budgeting. The section has separate chapters on agenda setting, legitimating policy choices, implementation, budgeting, and program evaluation and change.

Part Three is valuable, as it examines different substantive policy issues, including, among others, economic policy, tax policy, health policy, and energy and the environment.

There are nice features to this book, including an interesting consideration of policy ethics, with a problem about whom one might wish to save from death, while allowing others to die.

A fine textbook. . . .

[Steven Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has gone through many editions; this is one of the earlier versions. A pretty standard text in public policy. Not the most felicitously written volume. But it does cover the waterfron pretty well. I used this as a textbook before and it worked fairly well. Not the best, but better than other volumes that I have used. The book examines several issues--(1) What is public policy?; (2) How is public policy made?; (3) What are the outlines of basic policy issues (e.g., tax policy, educational policy, energy and the environment)?; (4) What are basic tools of policy analysis?

Overall, a good solid volume.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, for the most part. The theoretical portion is comprehensive while also digestible. The issue-based, practical sections would also earn approval except for ideology-creep and, on more than one occasion, vague generalizations treated as truth. It's somewhat unfair to hold this book to platinum standard because it attempts to do the impossible: capture all of American public policy in a (relatively) short book. The succinctness is appreciated. But most of the issue section should be approached with a healthy skepticism.

[Doug Morrisey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should be a requireds reading, maybe even a full class should be dedicated to it in secondary and higher education. Peters writes a straightforward description of just how policy is developed at the federal level and only slightly indicates his center-left political leanings. A good facilitator could easily balance those leanings to make them a bit more neutral.