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Policy Analysis: A Note of Disbelief

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2009

Richard Minns
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Extract

In his review article on policy analysis [Hugh Heclo, ‘Policy Analysis’, this Journal, II (1972), 83–108], Heclo describes public policy as ‘necessarily at the heart of the political scientist’s concern’. But because public policy ‘is concerned with metachoices’ – ‘choices as to how others shall make choices in whatever sphere public authority is intervening’ – ‘the study of policy therefore necessarily straddles a number of previously distinct academic disciplines’.‘However, I wonder to what extent political scientists are willing to take part in a ‘coherent “interdiscipline” of policy studies’. Heclo quotes Vernon Van Dyke’s warning that the prospect of this for political scientists is ‘appalling’.2 If we examine firstly what political science has to offer in policy analysis and secondly what policy analysis itself has to offer, I feel that Van Dyke will suddenly find himself with massive support.

Type
Notes and Comments
Information
British Journal of Political Science , Volume 5 , Issue 3 , July 1975 , pp. 389 - 390
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1975

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References

1 Heclo, , ‘Policy Analysis’, pp. 85–6.Google Scholar

2 Heclo, , ‘Policy Analysis’, p. 86.Google Scholar

3 Dye, Thomas R., Understanding Public Policy (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972).Google Scholar

4 See for example, Pimlico Neighbourhood Aid Centre Housing Group, Planning Policy and Evictions in Pimlico (6 Longmore Street, London S.W.I, 03 1974)Google Scholar; and Shelter Housing Aid Centre, Glasgow Report (53 St Vincent Crescent, Glasgow: 1974).Google Scholar

5 Scarrow, Howard, ‘The Impact of British Domestic Air Pollution Legislation’, British Journal of Political Science, II (1972), 261–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

6 Schaefer, Guenther F., ‘A General Systems Approach to Public Policy Analysis’, Policy and Politics, II (1974), 331–346, p. 346.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

7 Alford, Robert R., ‘Quantitative Indicators of the Quality of Life: A Critique’, Comparative Urban Research, III (1973), 5–8, p. 7.Google Scholar

8 Hall, Peter, Thomas, Ray, Gracey, Harry and Drewett, Roy, The Containment of Urban England, Vols. I and II (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1973), p. 28.Google Scholar

9 Glyn, Andrew and Sutcliffe, Bob, British Workers, Capitalism and the Profits Squeeze (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972).Google Scholar

10 King, Anthony, ‘On Studying the Impacts of Public Policies’, memorandum prepared for the Social Science Research Council Committee on Comparative Politics conference, Nassau Inn, Princeton, N.J., 01 1972.Google Scholar