How do transformative changes in public policy take place? Why do some issues rise to the top of the political agenda, while others are completely ignored? What makes some major policy initiatives succeed-at times, even when the odds are decidedly against them-while others fail or languish for decades? Answering those questions is the purpose of this book.

Elaine Kamarck traces the paths of a series of modern policy initiatives from the orderly world of analysis to the messy world of partisan politics. Dissecting the reasons for policy success and failure, she offers an intriguing new perspective on how change happens in the space where politics and policy overlap.