Previously titled Policy Choices and Public Action, this text is a comprehensive guide for understanding and participating in the discussion and debate on American public affairs decision making. The multidisciplinary author team offers a many-faceted examination of policy problems covering the economic, political, and social agenda of the nation. The text balances the traditional descriptive approach with a problem-solving “professional” approach—i.e., it presents a series of public problems and invites consideration of possible solutions. Designed to encompass the broader scope of public affairs as well as political science, it takes a global perspective in examining the processes by which policies are developed, implemented, managed, and changed, highlighting the role of government agencies and bureaucracies along with non-governmental organizations.