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The United States spends billions of dollars annually on social and economic policies aimed at improving the lives of its citizens, but the health consequences associated with these policies are rarely considered. In Making Americans Healthier, a group of multidisciplinary experts shows how social and economic policies seemingly unrelated to medical well-being have dramatic consequences for the health of the American people.

Most previous research concerning problems with health and healthcare in the United States has focused narrowly on issues of medical care and insurance coverage, but Making Americans Healthier demonstrates the important health consequences that policymakers overlook in traditional cost-benefit evaluations of social policy. The contributors examine six critical policy areas: civil rights, education, income support, employment, welfare, and neighborhood and housing. Among the important findings in this book, David Cutler and Adriana Lleras-Muney document the robust relationship between educational attainment and health, and estimate that the health benefits of education may exceed even the well-documented financial returns of education. Pamela Herd, James House, and Robert Schoeni discover notable health benefits associated with the Supplemental Security Income Program, which provides financial support for elderly and disabled Americans. George Kaplan, Nalini Ranjit, and Sarah Burgard document a large and unanticipated improvement in the health of African-American women following the enactment of civil rights legislation in the 1960s.

Making Americans Healthier presents ground-breaking evidence that the health impact of many social policies is substantial. The important findings in this book pave the way for promising new avenues for intervention and convincingly demonstrate that ultimately social and economic policy is health policy.

ROBERT F. SCHOENI is professor of public policy and economics, the University of Michigan. JAMES S. HOUSE is Angus Campbell Collegiate Professor of Sociology and Survey Research, the University of Michigan. GEORGE A. KAPLAN is the Thomas Francis Collegiate Professor of Pubic Health, the University of Michigan. HAROLD POLLACK is associate professor of social service administration, University of Chicago.

A Volume in the National Poverty Center Series on Poverty and Public Policy ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must-read for anyone interested in improving population health
This is an excellent book on the health effects of social and economic policies.Written by leading experts from a range of disciplines, Making American's Healthier dovetails wonderfully with my own work on Gender and Health as it sheds light on the range of policies that shape individuals' opportunity to pursue a healthy life and thus contribute to social disparities in health and longevity.
Making Americans Healthier will soon be required reading for anyone interested in understanding the policy levers for improving population health and reducing health disparities. ... Read more

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A leading scholar of twentieth-century American history looks again at the beginning of the century, this time giving us a remarkable portrait of the emergence of modern society and its distinctive transformations and social problems. As in Regulating a New Economy, his earlier book on the changing American economy, Morton Keller integrates political, legal, and governmental history, now providing the first comprehensive study of the ideas and interests that shaped early twentieth-century American social policy.

Keller looks at the major social institutions: the family, voluntary associations, religion, and education. He examines important social issues: the rights of the individual, the regulation of public mores (gambling, drugs, prostitution, alcohol abuse), the definition and punishment of crime, and social welfare policy (poverty, public health, conditions of labor). His final area of concern is one that assumed new importance after 1900: social policy directed at major groups, such as immigrants, blacks, Native Americans, and women.

The interpretive theme is fresh and controversial. Keller sees early twentieth-century American government not as an artifact of class, race, and gender conflict but as the playing out of tension between the Progressive thrust to restore social cohesion through the principle of order and organization and two other, mutually antipodal, social interests: the weight of the American past and the growing pluralism of modern America. The interplay among these elements--Progressivism, persistence, pluralism--shaped early twentieth-century social policy. The result was no clear victory for any one of these public attitudes, but rather the emergence and delineation of most of the social issues that have dominated American public life for the rest of the century.

Product Description
For over seventy-five years, the Women's Bureau, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, has played a major part in the struggle for equal rights.In this institutional history, Kathleen A. Laughlin offers the fullest account to date of the Women's Bureau during the post-World War II era, showing how its long tradition of linking government with grassroots constituents supported and sustained the political milieu for women's rights activism in the 1940s and 1950s, and set the foundation for resurgent feminism in the 1960s.

Laughlin details how the Bureau's strategic use of national conferences, regional field representatives, research, publicity, and alliances with the private and public sectors encouraged political activism and continuity among women in labor unions and disparate religious, civic, service, and professional women's organizations after World War II.She also discusses the department's role as a catalyst for the establishment of the President's Commission on the Status of Women, the passage of the Equal Pay Act, and the extension of a women's rights agenda at the state level.

The author considers why and how the Women's Bureau was able to succeed in furthering an equal rights program in the 1960s while bound to its statutory mission as an advocate for protective labor laws aimed at regulating the workplace for women.In addition, Laughlin examines the rationale behind the Bureau's initial strong opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment and its dramatic reversal in support of the ERA's ratification.

This insightful study chronicles how the federal agency's quiet, backstage activism promoted an economic agenda for women and paved the way for more public, center stage feminist advocacy.It challenges traditional beliefs that women's activism was dormant during the 1940s and 1950s, and makes a significant contribution to revisionist scholarship on social and political reform movements in the postwar decades. ... Read more

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Just when you thought a great book couldn't get any better, Eugene Bardach improves his "gem" of a handbook. Presenting dozens of concrete tips, interesting case studies, and step-by-step strategies for the budding analyst as well as the seasoned professional, Bardach's eightfold approach encapsulates more than 20 years of teaching and guiding students towards effective, accurate, and persuasive policy analysis.

Customer Reviews (13)

Good "quick and dirty" introduction to policy analysis
A brief introduction to policy analysis. Well respected author Eugene Bardach lays out what he calls "the eightfold path to more effective problem solving." This involved steps in the policy analysis process including: defining the proble,m, assembling evidence, constructing alternatives, selecting criteria, projecting outcomes, confronting treade-offs, deciding, and telling your story.

This is a brief book, but serves nicely as a "quick and dirty" introduction to policy analysis.

A policy geek's Bible!
The book is helpful in understanding policy analysis and lays outa meaningful process for looking at smart practice

Great Seller
Quick delivery and book was in very good condition. I would definitely buy from this seller again.

Very useful book
The book is useful for my work and easy to read. It also provides concise and details information.

excellent
This product was received in excellent condition very quickly ... helps a struggling college person keep within budget!

THANK YOU! ... Read more

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Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy, 13e by Lawrence and Weber has continued through several successive author teams to be the market-leader in its field. Business and Society, 13e highlights why government regulation is sometimes required as well as new models of business-community collaboration. The authors believe that businesses have social (as well as economic) responsibilities to society; that business and government both have important roles to play in the modern economy; and that ethics and integrity are essential to personal fulfillment and to business success. In addition, this textbook has long been popular with students because of its lively writing, up-to-date examples, and clear explanations of theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Business
I purchased this book because it is required for a course I am taking at a nearby college.The book I received has a cover like an encyclopedia therefore doesn't look like the other books that are purchased from the college bookstore.It has the same information/content as the books from the book store and was much cheaper.I am very pleased with my purchase.

Textbook
Exactly what I needed for my course work at a fraction of the college's cost!

business and society
I was disappointed with the product. I spent 90 plus dollars on a book that read as a US bookm. I got an international soft book - this not what I wanted. If I did I could have bought it for 40 dollars. Not happy

great service
the book arrived before i was expecting it to.great quality just like it was advertised. Thanks !

Business and Society Textbook
This book arrived overnight which was exactly what I needed.I had actually purchased the book from a used bookseller online and they never sent it. At the last minute I had to purchase it new and Amazon had the best price and got it here overnight just in time to start my class.I won't be using the used bookseller ever again!The book is brand new so it arrived in great shape. ... Read more

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To explain the fundamentals of public policy, this best-selling text focuses on the process behind the crafting of legislation. By examining the individual steps--from identifying a problem, to agenda setting, to evaluation, revision, or termination of a policy--students are able to see how different factors influence the creation of policy. Each chapter features at least one case study that illustrates how general ideas are applied to specific policy issues. This new Seventh Edition addresses the economic crisis as well as how the Obama administration differs from the Bush administration in its approach to policy making. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Public Policymaking: An Introduction
Very well book for people, who really want to learn US Policy System.
The Case Studies are excellent, well-described and easy to understand the objectives

Public Policymaking
Wrong edition - next time I will make sure the edition is the same one I searched for.Didn't pay attention to edition when I ordered.I assumed a search with the ISBN would only find 7th edition of this book.

Public Policymaking
This is a must ready book for any student interested in understanding the public issues as well a must read for educators who want bring American'scontemporary issues to the classroom. Its well written in an academic language which almost every college student will understand very easily. The factual of the text are well researched and presented in a non-biased perspective which leaves students or readers to develop their own conclusions about the issues.I also found it interesting that for every issue, the author(Anderson) taken time to provide a background information which make give each reader a snopsis of the origin of the public policy issue.

Good book and fast shipping
The book is very new and the shipment was fast enough for me so that I wouldn't be in class without a text book.

ZZZZZzzzzzzz
I bought this book because I had to.(It's a required text for PA 320, Political and Policy Basis of Emergency Management.)

I'm sure the author is quite gifted in the realm of policy analysis.But his ability to convey this information in a way that allows the reader to retain consciousness is quite in question.

I tried and tried, but I couldn't get more than 5 pages into any chapter without going for a mental walk.Introductions into any subject should be approached with more zest for keeping people's attention.Maybe it isn't possible for this subject, I don't know.

Good luck if you have to buy this.It's a sleeper. ... Read more

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Advances in environmental protection and public health result from democratic processes that debate environmental health concerns and propose legislative and other policy solutions. Delineating the delicate relationship between environmental policy and public health, Environmental Policy and Public Health explores the development of environmental health policies, the statutes that address public health concerns about specific environmental hazards, and policy issues that impact environmental health programs.

Covering the fundamentals of environmental policy, this concise guide identifies the steps in environmental policy making, the federal government's environmental health structure, and the general environmental status. It focuses on environmental hazards, including air contamination, water pollution, unsafe food, pesticides and toxic substances, and hazardous waste that have been associated with degraded human health. The book provides a unique description of international environmental health organizations and programs and describes how risk assessment has become an integral policy in environmental health legislation.

Presenting a historical perspective of how environmental health has evolved, Environmental Policy and Public Health is the first book to bridge human health concerns and environmental protection. The book relates the relationship between controlling environmental hazards and the impact on human health and public health practice. It outlines how environmental justice has evolved and has been integrated into government environmental policies. ... Read more

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Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity - Research and Public Policy Second Edition is a collaborative effort by an international group of addiction scientists to improve the linkages between addiction science and alcohol policy. It presents, in a comprehensive, practical, and readily accessible form, the accumulated scientific knowledge on alcohol research that has a direct relevance to the development of alcohol policy on local, national, and international levels. It provides an objective analytical basis on which to build relevant policies globally and informs policy-makers who have direct responsibility for public health and social welfare. By locating alcohol policy primarily within the realm of public health, this book draws attention to the growing tendency for governments, both national and local, to consider alcohol misuse as a major determinant of ill health, and to organize societal responses accordingly.

The scope of the book is comprehensive and international. The authors describe the conceptual basis for a rational alcohol policy and present new epidemiological data on the global dimensions of alcohol misuse. The core of the book is a critical review of the cumulative scientific evidence in seven general areas of alcohol policy: pricing and taxation, regulating the physical availability of alcohol, modifying the environment in which drinking occurs, drinking-driving countermeasures, marketing restrictions, primary prevention programs in schools and other settings, and treatment and early intervention services. The final chapters discuss the current state of alcohol policy in different parts of the world and describe the need for a new approach to alcohol policy that is evidence-based, realistic, and coordinated.

It will appeal to those involved in both addiction science and drug policy, as well as those in the wider fields of public health, health policy, epidemiology, and practising clinicians.

A companion volume published by Oxford University Press, 'Drug Policy and the Public Good', is also available. ... Read more

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Documents how even progressive foundations serve to reinforce the political staus quo. ... Read more

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The Handbook of Public Policy Evaluation provides the reader with insight and alternative ways of resolving controversies related to problems at the societal level.This systematic, win-win evaluation involves choosing policy alternative that can enable conservatives, liberals, and others to come out ahead of their best initial expectations simultaneously. This book deals with many aspects of public policy evaluation such as methods, examples, studies, professionalism, perspectives, concepts, trends, substance, theory, applications, dispute resolution, interdisciplinary interaction and bibliographies.

Stuart S. Nagel has broken new ground in several areas of policy analysis. Research from an outstanding group of contributing authors places an emphasis on evaluating public policies that relate to economic, technology, social, political, international and legal problems rather than on evaluation specific narrowly focused programs. The book combines the variety of an edited book with integration and coherence of an authored book. No other book exists that pulls together numerous essays like this one, whereby providing a rich variety of insights, ideas, and applications. This book will be of interest to professors, students, practitioners, public administrators, policy analysts, and others interested in public policy evaluation.

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Governance, Globalization and Public Policy is concerned with exploring the nature of the policy arena in the context of globalization and the reconstitution of the state.

The contributors to this book seek to broaden, extend and integrate theoretical, conceptual and substantive policy debates. The book begins by exploring the concepts and perspectives associated with globalization and governance, the relationship between them and the repercussions for public policy and the state. It also considers developments at the global and regional levels and the implications of the emergence of new regulatory regimes in the context of liberalization and privatization. The focus then turns to a broad range of substantive areas of public policy such as human rights, health and health care, housing markets, poverty, security and counter-terrorism. Together the chapters provide a thorough, integrated insight into the relationship between global processes, governance and public policy across a range of policy domains

Providing a comprehensive analysis of patterns and processes of governance in specific areas of public policy, this book will be of great interest to students undertaking programmes in social policy, social administration, public policy and political science, as well as researchers and academics concerned with the policymaking process. ... Read more

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The Public Policy Process is essential reading for anyone trying to understand the process by which public policy is made. It provides a stimulating and accessible read that clarifies the complexities and diversities of a difficult subject.

In its new edition this book demonstrates how any attempt to influence the policy process needs to be grounded in an understanding of how policy is made. It covers both the theoretical and practical aspects of the process, allowing students to see the importance of the relationship between them. It also examines the role of the people and organisations involved in the process.

This text is suitable for undergraduate courses in policy.

Features

*Provides a comprehensive guide to the various theoretical approaches used to analyse the policy process and how they can be applied
*Examines the impact of concerns about accountability on the operation of the policy process
*Demonstrates how policies are created and implemented and discusses the challenges students face when studying the policy process ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Extremely useful and creative source for evaluation research
The book has been written to be used as a qualified introductory volume in evaluation at academic institutions as well as within public administration. Besidesbeing a good text book for those wanting to learn about making evaluation,the book serves well as a source book for the other important audience -those who fund or use evaluation research. Being an introductory volume, itdoes not go into details of evaluation methodology nor offer any newapproaches, but aims at an overview of the existing literature andexperience. The evaluation literature is very vast, and there are manyapproaches and arguments. Vedung's book is a most sensible and realiablecompass when entering that jungle. Vedung makes two important limitationsin his book. First of all, evaluation in this context is limited togevernment interventions only, that is, to politically or administrativelyplanned social change, like public policies, public programs and publicservices. The other limitation is that he is only interested inretrospective assessment of public interventions. Both of these limitationsexclude a wide array of evaluation activities, especially in the US, asVedung points out, but they certainly make the book a coherent and moreaccessible. The limitations mean, however, that we will for instance notlearn much about evaluation which is carried out for assessing developmentsin work life, or evaluation which aims at clarifying and developing theaims and working methods of social movements. Vedung defines evaluation as'careful, retrospecive assessment of merit, worth, and value of hteadmisnistration, output and outcome of government interventions, which isintended to play a role in future practical action situations' (p. 13).This somewhat dry definition should not put the reador off, as the textturns out to be a very enjoyable experience. Vedung has the skill ofpresenting complicated methodological issues whith simplicity and clarity.This is greatly helped by the fact that he is not hesitant in promptlypresenting his own stand or opinion which obviously stems from a vast arrayof practical experience in various fields of evaluation research. In mostinstances, one feels inclined to agree with his balanced and moderateviews. After presenting his definition for evaluation and describing aspinning top-model for decision making where evaluation is located inbetween intervention implementation and feedback (p. 16), Vedung moves onto shortly discuss the history of the theories of public management. Oftenevaluation is seen as a part of the top-down management doctrines. Vedungstates that this is far from the only way of seeing evaluation. Evalautioncan be a part of more bottom-up or pluralist management doctrines as well,as the examples of professional evaluation, client-oriented evaluation, andstakeholder evaluation show... Vedung takes the middle-ground in the 'eternal'disbute on causality in evaluation research. He recognizes the depth of theproblem but does not give up on giving impact assessment a high value inevaluation research. He writes: 'There is no satisfactory, widelyrecognized solution to the causality problem in the social sciencesgenerally, and even less so in evaluation theory. ... The problem is ofcourse that past counterfactual states can never be known with certainty'(p. 168-169). In evaluation, the ideal would be to have a consummatephysical copy of the program situation. In the classical experimentaldesign, the control group would constitute such a duplicate of theexperimental group. Since the perfect experimental design is almostunattainable in the real world of public policy, approximate approachesmust be used. There are several such approximations available to theevaluator, and Vedung discusses these on pages 173-190, giving a goodoverview of the existing knowledge. The conclusion of this all is thatevaluation researchers must learn to live with the insight that publicpolicy making can never be transformed into science in the way desired tyoutright technocrats and radical experimentalists. Evaluation methodologymust be adjusted to the rules of the political game, not the other wayround (s. 192). There are two alternatives left: one is to surrender, theother is to use weaker designs. Vedung like the majority of evaluationresearchers, chooses the latter. His discussion on naturalistic designoffers several usable and sensible, even if not novel ways out of thedilemma. Chapter 15 takes the reader beyond the point where typicalacademic research ends: how is the research used. An evaluator can beexpected to influence the ways the research results are used andinterpreted. 'Engineering model' which means that leaving the report to thedecision makers is the end of the work for the researchers, is anacceptable, but acording to Vedung, a rare case in real life. He offersother models for the researchers: the inlightening, the interactive, htelegitimizing, which all, even the last one, are acceptable to him. Only thetactical use of evaluation research should never be tolerated. This book ismost useful, heavy on information and insights. It is loyal to the stateand seems to get its main fuel and passion from the cahllenge of combiningdemocracy and science like evaluation, the two dreams of the ideal systemof governing in the western societies. Vedung finishes his book by statingthat this 'thorny' topic is vastly underplayed in evaluation literature andneeds further clarification. The real delight in the end of the book is theglossary. The author has done a wonderful job in compilling a 22 page longglossary of key concepts in evaluation. This is an extremely useful andcreative source for anyone entering or trying to make sense of the field,combining both amusing statements and charp exact definitions for complexmethodological approaches. Marja Holmila/Researcher, Ph.D National Researchand Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES), Siltasaarenkatu 18,P.O.BOX 220, FIN-00531 Helsinki, Finland

A 'must' book for everyone in public policy evaluation
Evert Vedung's book `Public Policy and Program Evaluation' is a very notable addition to the ever growing list ofbooks dealing with evaluation and implementation.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone involvedwith program evaluation in the capacity of student, government official(program implementer)or government program evaluator.

Vedung's writingstyle is clear and simple. He explains and defends his arguments in a veryprecise and systematic fashion and that makes the book very comprehensibleand easy to read.

Evaluation is a diverse discipline, thus one needs tosystematize and clarify the themes he talks about right from the start.Evert Vedung does just that.

In the first four chapters of the book heintroduces the reader to the diverse cosmos of evaluation. Initially hesemantically defines evaluation and explains that he confines evaluation to the after-the-fact assessments. That is, he covers on-going orterminated activities but not before-the-fact analysis of potential not-yetadopted interventions (p.8).

He also talks of different evaluationmodels and he schematically classifies them into effectiveness, economicand professional models (p.36). Later,he analyzeseach model in moredetail. Among others, he puts emphasis on the typology of effects that agovernmentintervention could have and presents some of these effects asIntended - Unintended and Anticipated - Unanticipated (pp. 49-59).

Inchapter five he formulates his approach to public policy evaluation bylisting eight problems - that he sees vital - in the form ofquestions.

1.Purpose problem: For what overall is the evaluationlaunched? 2.Organization (evaluator) problem: Who should exercise theevaluation and how? 3.Intervention analysis problem: How is thegovernment intervention described? Is the evaluant regarded as a means or aself-contained entity? 4.Conversion problem: What does the execution looklike between the formal in instigation of the intervention and the finaloutputs? 5.Results problem: What are the outputs and the outcomes-immediate, intermediate and ultimate - of the intervention? 6.Impactproblem: What contingencies (causal forces) - the intervention included -explain the results? 7.By what value criteria should the merits of theintervention be assessed? By what standards of performance on the valuecriteria can success or failure or satisfactory performance be judged? Andwhat are the actual merits of the intervention? 8.Utilization problem:How is the evaluation to be utilized? How is it actually used?

Questionsone and two concern the evaluation of the intervention, questions threethrough seven pertain to the investigation proper and question eight refersto the feedback process or the utilization aspect of evaluation (pp.93-94). In the rest of the book (chapters 6-15) Vedung expands on each ofthese eight problems in detail.

I particularly liked chapters 11 and 12which are connected to question six. In chapter 11 he discusses impactassessment logic, several experimental designsand methods. Thepresentation of the notion of the counterfactual - the basis, that is, ofexperiments - is very clear. In chapter 12 he talks ofgeneric,statistical and shadow controls. Although others have written whole bookson experimental design Evert Vedung presents the essence of this subject inthese two chapters.

Surely,things could have been added. For example,he omits discussing impact assessment methodologies from the econometricspoint of view although they are widely in use nowadays (that is, evaluationstudies using regression models). On the other hand, had he includedregression methods, that might have produced a much more difficult andtechnical text, and that in turn would have decreased the audience coverageof the book.

Being myself both a student of evaluation and an evaluator -I presently evaluate the process through which government subsidies aredistributed to enterprises -, I enjoyed the book immensely. In it, Ifounduses and connections both for my work and for my studies.

TakisVenetoklis/Researcher, BBA, MPS, Ph.D cand.,

Government Institute forEconomic Research (VATT) Hämeentie 3, POB 269, 00531 Helsinki, Finland ... Read more

Product Description
For civil servants who take an oath to uphold the Constitution, that document is the supreme symbol of political morality. Constitutional issues are addressed by civil servants every day, whenever a policeman arrests a suspect or members of different branches of government meet. But how well do these individuals really understand the Constitution's application in their jobs?

This book encourages civil servants to reflect on specific constitutional principles and events and learn to apply them to the decisions they make. Twenty seminal articles by a preeminent scholar seek to legitimate public service by grounding its ethics in constitutional practice.

John Rohr stresses that ethical practice demands an immersion in the specifics of our constitutional tradition, and he offers a guide to attaining a greater sense of those constitutional principles that can be translated into action. Along the way he considers such timely issues as financial disclosure, the treatment of civil servants as second-class citizens, and instances of civil servants caught between executive and legislative forces.

Rohr's opening essays demonstrate that responsible use of administrative discretion is the key issue for career civil servants. Subsequent sections examine approaches to training civil servants using constitutional principles; character formation resulting from study of the constitutional tradition; and the ethical choices that are sometimes posed by separation of powers. A final group of chapters shows how a study of other countries' constitutional traditions can deepen an understanding of our own, while a closing essay looks at past issues and future prospects in administrative ethics from the perspective of Rohr's long involvement in the field.

Throughout this insightful collection, Rohr seeks to remind public servants of the nobility of their calling, reinforce their role in articulating public interests against the excesses of private concerns, and encourage managers to make greater use of constitutional language to describe their everyday activities. Although his work focuses on the federal career civil servant, it also offers valuable lessons applicable to state and local civil servants, elected officials, judges, military personnel, and those employed in the nonprofit sector.

This book is part of the Studies in Government and Public Policy series. ... Read more

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The two dozen essays assembled in Creating Change examine some of the most bitterly contested and controversial public events and public policy battles in American history. These writings, each by a leading activist or scholar, recount how a specific constituency—gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons, and their allies—achieved tremendous progress despite seemingly insurmountable barriers. With each of the chapters written by an activist or scholar integral to the specific area of discussion, this is a work of scholarship and a work of passion about the way the American political and cultural landscape became what it is today.It is the story of how social change is made.
Amazon.com Review
Like those '40s dance marathons, where the winners were thecouple that stayed on their feet the longest, public policy change issometimes just a matter of endurance. Over the past 30 years, despite asteady shift to the right in federal and state politics, lesbians and gayshave made tremendous social and political advances, thanks to theunremitting efforts of activists and sympathetic legislators and policymakers. This inspiring and highly readable anthology, which includes BarneyFrank on immigration law, Rich Tafel on gay Republicans, Marj Plumb onlesbian health in the Clinton years, and David L. Chambers on marriage anddomestic partnership, describes the incremental but essential changes inAmerican public policy on gay rights since 1970. Creating Changereminds us of the big picture: that gay issues now have a national stage,and that queer lives are braver and hipper than anyone else's. This bookshould be in every gay library, but especially on the shelves of youngerreaders, who may not be familiar with the pre-ACT-UP world. --JackConnolly ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Inspiring words for trying times
As a progressive activist, I immensley enjoyed this anthology of movers and shakers in the GLBT movement. Introspective, energetic and visionary, they remind both allies and GLBT peoplealthough much has been accomplished, there is no shortage of public policy issues to focus their work on.AIDS, securuty clearances, lesbian feminism and dual identity conflicts of GLBT people of color are issues that will not go away until we deal with them substantively.

While I was famillar with some names...I was introduced to several unsuing heroes and role models. My only regret is that the book tended to gloss over instaces where the movement was not doing as well as it could have been. I believe this would have made some of the anthology more coherent. There are gaps which take away from the individual policy papers.

Even if I understood the National Gay Task Force eventually bevame the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to disadvow sexism, other readers might not be aware of the reason for the name change. More information on the Romer vs. Evans decision (which invalidated Colorado's virulently homophobic Amendment Two), a real victory at a time when the Supreme Court has no shortage of conservatives. The authors simply assume that people know the important bits and pieces that give the riveting stories meaning and importance. Given their backgrounds, this tendency is both troubling and unusual, little is accomplished by preaching to the choir

Still, the format of this book means it can also be used as a college textbook on GLBT issues and theory. Thus it is important to consider the book's above mentioned flaws as a fair description rather than a deliberate pan. Flaws and all, this book is recomended for anybody who wants to know what the "newest" civil rights movement has and is doing to improve American society. ... Read more

Product Description
Game theory is useful in understanding collective human activity as the outcome of interactive decisions. In recent years it has become a more prominent aspect of research and applications in public policy disciplines such as economics, philosophy, management and political science, and in work within public policy itself. Here Roger McCain makes use of the analytical tools of game theory with the pragmatic purpose of identifying problems and exploring potential solutions in public policy.

In practice, the influence of game theory on public policy and related disciplines has been less a consequence of broad theorems than of insightful examples. Accordingly, the author offers a critical review of major topics from both cooperative and noncooperative game theory, including less-known ideas in noncooperative game theory and constructive proposals for new approaches. In so doing, he provides a toolkit for the analysis of public policy as well as a clearer understanding of the public policy enterprise itself.

The author's unique approach and treatment of game theory will be a useful resource for students and scholars of economics and public policy, as well as for policymakers themselves. ... Read more

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This book presents the basic analytical tools utilized by today's public managers and policy analysts. Tailored specifically to the needs of students in public administration and public policy programs, Essential Statistics introduces and reinforces important statistical skills that will be immediately relevant to them.

Essential Statistics includes: * clear and concise discussions of statistical concepts and applications, from basic descriptive techniques to more advanced analytical tools * learning objectives and key term lists that frame each chapter for quick and easy reference * multiple tables, figures, and boxes to reinforce important concepts and enhance skill acquisition

Exercising Essential Statistics includes: * critical thinking questions, data-based and research in practice exercises, helpful tips on data presentation, and suggested reading lists that correspond with coverage of each textbook chapter * two software guides -- "How to Use SPSS" and "Guide to Using Spreadsheets" -- that capitalize on the increased value of computers in methods courses. Freeing students from time-consuming calculations, these real-world applications allow for quick results interpretation and data validation * perforated and spiral-bound pages for maximum flexibility ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Book in great condition but poor shipping method
The book was in good condition for a used book, no complaints on that end! But the shipping method was very poor! First, using USPS is not the way to go,the book took way longer than expected. I ordered the book on a friday and didnt get it till thurdays the next week. I orderd two other books from different sellers on that same friday and they used fedex ground shipping and I recieved the books on that monday. I was really not happy at all with the method of shipping, plus the USPS website for tracking is not informative at all. The updates on the package are really vague and not up to date.

great condition
Book was in perfect condition. crisp and new (at least itlooked it). Arrived in time too.

A decent statistic book
The book was one of the inexpensive statistic book which also related to policy analysis. The book gave you decent knowledge about how to apply statistic on policy analysis, but if you are type of person who is looking for lots of examples, I will not suggest this book. Also, if you have never take the statistic class or took the class long time ago, I will suggest you pick up a statistic textbook along with this book so you have a better understanding. The book does not tell you how to run a statistic software, so if you are looking for more statistic software information, buy a statistic software books (Envivo, SPSS and so on.) ... Read more