First published in 1982, Approaches in Public Policy is an integrated, purpose-written text on the context, process, and practice of policymaking in the public sector, particularly at the local level. It has two main purposes. It aims to provide a stimulating and critical evaluation of trends in the analysis and formulation of policy by examining the realities behind such influential concepts and ideas as ‘rationality’, ‘information systems’, ‘distributional impact of services’ and ‘monitoring’. At the same time, it attempts through case study illustration to provide perceptive and detailed insights into the way such approaches have worked out in practice in a range of examples of policy initiatives in area management, regional planning, health care planning and Comprehensive Community Programmes.

The book fills a significant gap in the literature by providing a well-structured set of papers which link theoretical arguments to an evaluation of topical examples of the policy process in action. It will be of interest to students and researchers of public administration, public policy making, planning, and similar topics.