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This accessible yet challenging introduction to public policy navigates the concepts and methods of the policymaking process, as well as the values influencing policy choices. The authors first cover the basics: How do issues reach the policy agenda? How are policies crafted and implemented? Who pays/benefits? How is the effectiveness of a policy determined? They then apply this foundation to a range of contemporary policy areas: the economy, welfare, education, crime, health care, housing, the environment, foreign policy, domestic security, and more. Throughout, they emphasize the essential relationship between individual self-interest and national well-being. Notably, the text: Explains complicated ideas clearly - but without oversimplifying; Uses "everyday" examples to illustrate challenging concepts; Stresses the importance of values in economic cost-benefit analyses; Considers liberal and conservative positions in a balanced way; Compares U.S. approaches with those of other countries; Challenges students to rethink their assumptions about "the public good"; Engaging with controversial issues that bring the subject alive, this up-to-date new edition of Public Policy provides the ideal tour of the field - offering the perfect combination of theory and application.