Making Policy, Shaping Lives (Power, Dissent, Equality: Understanding Contemporary Politics)

This book explores a variety of perspectives on the making of public policy. Also exploring the impact upon groups and individuals on the 'making' and the 'receiving' ends. Its aim is to bring policy making alive to students and general readers. It deals with policy dynamics at national and other levels of governance. This book comprehensively explores the links between policy and battles over political values, responses to electoral preferences, challenging social and cultural issues, the assumptions of the powerful, and national and international economic and political pressures. It compares and contrasts policy-making across countries, using key case-studies. Different theories of policy-making are also explored, including the role of the public and private sectors in policy making, and recent attempts at restructuring modern welfare states.

Raia Prokhovnik is senior lecturer in politics at the Open University.