Introduction to the Policy Process

Now in a thoroughly revised sixth edition, An Introduction to the Policy Process provides students at all levels with an accessible, readable, and affordable introduction to the field of public policy. In keeping with prior editions, author Tom Birkland conveys the best current thinking on the policy process in a clear, conversational style. Designed to address new developments in both policy theory and policymaking, the sixth edition includes:

• An all‑new chapter exploring the philosophical and normative foundations of American governance, to connect principles such as liberty, equality, representation, and the rule of law to contemporary political debates and tensions;
• A thoughtful exploration of newer policy theory developments like the Multiple Streams Framework, Punctuated Equilibrium Theory, the Advocacy Coalition Framework, policy diffusion, the Narrative Policy Framework, and the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) and Social‑Ecological Systems (SES) traditions, to help students understand policy change and stability, and to provide a set of analytical tools they can carry with them beyond the classroom;
• Fully updated chapter summaries, key terms and definitions, provocative review questions, recommended reading, visual aids and case studies, theoretical literature, and PowerPoint slides and Test Banks to make teaching from the book easier than ever.

Firmly grounded in both social science and political science, An Introduction to the Policy Process provides the most up‑to‑date and thorough overview of the theory and practice of the policy process, ideal for upper‑level undergraduate and introductory graduate courses in Public Policy, Public Administration, and Political Science programs.

Thomas A. Birkland is a Professor of Public Policy at North Carolina State University, USA. He has taught courses on disaster policy and environmental policy, as well as on the policy process, to all levels of students. He was born in Seattle and grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and has degrees from the University of Oregon, Rutgers University, and the University of Washington. His research has examined policy theory, agenda setting, and the role of sudden events, such as disasters, in the policy process. He has written two books and many articles about disaster policy, the policy process, and agenda setting. His 1997 book After Disaster won the Aaron Wildavsky Enduring Contribution Award from the Public Policy section of the American Political Science Association in 2020.