Limit this search to....

Political Theory and Public Policy
Contributor(s): Goodin, Robert E. (Author)
ISBN: 0226302970     ISBN-13: 9780226302973
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
OUR PRICE:   $36.63  
Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats
Published: November 1983
Qty:
Temporarily out of stock - Will ship within 2 to 5 weeks
Annotation: Some say that public policy can be made without the benefit of theory -that is emerges, instead, through trial-and-error. Others see genuine philosophical issues in public affairs but try to resolve them through fanciful examples. Both, argues Robert E. Goodin, are wrong.
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare
- Business & Economics
Dewey: 361.61
LCCN: 81023120
Physical Information: 0.62" H x 6.03" W x 9" (0.80 lbs) 296 pages
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
Some say that public policy can be made without the benefit of theory--that it emerges, instead, through trial-and-error. Others see genuine philosophical issues in public affairs but try to resolve them through fanciful examples. Both, argues Robert E. Goodin, are wrong.

Goodin--a political scientist who is also an associate editor of Ethics--shows that empirical and ethical theory can and should guide policy. To be useful, however, these philosophical discussions of public affairs must draw upon actual policy experiences rather than contrived cases. Further, they must reflect the broader social consequences of policies rather than just the dilemmas of personal conscience.

Effectively integrating the literatures of social science, policy science, and philosophy, Goodin provides a theoretically sophisticated yet empirically well-grounded analysis of public policies, the principles underlying them, the institutions shaping them, and the excuses offered for their failures. This analysis is enhanced by the author's discussion of such specific cases as the disposal of nuclear wastes and the priority accorded national defense--cases that illustrate Goodin's theoretical and methodological framework for approaching policy issues.