Bardes, Barbara and Mel Dubnick, “The Why and How of Policy Analysis,” . TRANSACTION/SOCIETY, September/October, 1979: 11-16.
This paper was the basis for a textbook on public policy analysis published four years later; see Dubnick & Bardes 1983.
AI-Generated Summary:
Public policy analysis is a diverse field focused on applying problem-solving techniques to understand, evaluate, and improve government actions and policies.
Nature and Definition of Public Policy Analysis
- Public policy analysis involves applying problem-solving techniques to questions about government actions or statements.
- It is an applied field, emphasizing understanding facts and their implications rather than basic research.
- Analysts transform known information into meaningful insights to address policy questions.
- The field lacks a single, universally accepted definition, leading to diverse approaches.
Motivations Behind Policy Analysis
- Social scientists engage in policy analysis to understand, improve, or justify policies.
- Motivations include scientific inquiry, policy improvement, administrative needs, and personal reasons.
- Policy scientists seek reliable explanations and generalizable knowledge for social benefit.
- Professionals aim to develop strategies for policy design and implementation.
- Politically motivated analysts often advocate specific policies to support their values.
- Citizens and administrators analyze policies for personal understanding and effective execution.
Historical Development of Policy Analysis
- The Keynesian Revolution and policy sciences established a foundation for professional policy analysis.
- Post-World War II, government agencies and think tanks institutionalized policy research.
- The 1960s saw innovations in budgeting and decision-making techniques.
- Campus rebellions and critiques of relevance spurred renewed interest in policy impact.
- The growth of policy analysis reflects these historical influences and evolving societal needs.
Types of Policy Analysts and Their Goals
- Scientific analysts focus on developing theories and explanations of policy phenomena.
- Professional analysts aim to improve policies through applied knowledge and strategic advice.
- Political analysts seek to advocate or defend specific policy positions.
- Administrative analysts concentrate on effective policy implementation and organizational procedures.
- Personal analysts include citizens and individuals seeking to understand policies affecting their lives.
Core Link: Problem-Solving in Policy Analysis
- Despite diverse motivations, all policy analysis involves applying problem-solving techniques.
- Policies are viewed as problems of contention, design, value objectives, or implementation challenges.
- Scientific analysts address theoretical gaps and predict policy patterns.
- Professionals work on designing and improving policies and decision-making processes.
- Political analysts focus on maximizing value objectives and influencing policy adoption.
- Administrative analysts deal with effective policy execution and organizational strategies.
- Citizens confront policies as everyday problems requiring understanding or action.