Canonic Texts in Public Policy Studies: A Quantitative Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 681-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa L. Fan
Author(s):  
Kanti Bajpai

Every ranking system rates Indian universities poorly against their Asian counterparts in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, and in some cases, even universities in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The question then is why, given that in 1947 it could fairly be said that at least a dozen Indian universities were leaders in Asia and were of international repute, Indian universities are in an egregious condition. This chapter essays some answers. It also argues for curricular reform, in particular for the introduction of public policy studies at the major Indian universities.


1984 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Keith J. Mueller

The recent growth in policy studies curricula in political science departments affords increased opportunities for experimentation with alternative instruction modes. This article describes one innovation found to be appropriate for courses for which the instructor has access to experts in the policy being studied. In this example, community experts in health policy issues were used as resource persons to assist in discussion of specific health policy concerns. Other policy courses should be amenable to this format, including energy, environment, and economic development courses. Even without using community experts, the general format of weekly colloquiums could be replicated for other policy courses.The courses described herein is an upper division/graduate level course in American Health Policy. It is taught for one semester every other year as one of several topical courses in the public policy track within political science.


Author(s):  
Kate Crowley ◽  
Jenny Stewart ◽  
Adrian Kay ◽  
Brian W. Head

State-centred and society-centred explanations in comparative public policy analysis disagree markedly on the extent to which the state has autonomy or is essentially a clearing-house for outside forces. In this chapter, we reconsider the position of the state in policy studies by investigating the interactions and inter-dependency between the state and society rather than making a binary choice between state-centred and society-centred perspectives on governance. The core argument is that policy studies can improve its ability to apprehend the position of the state in dilemmas of contemporary policy-making by acknowledging that the state is, at once, both critical to collective action and reliant on crucial elements of societal support for its policy effectiveness. In such terms, governance is a useful label for the variety of ways in which society is not simply acted upon by the state, but actively shapes the actions of and outcomes of state activity.


1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnold J. Heidenheimer

ABSTRACTThis article seeks to acquaint the reader with the intellectual landscape of comparative policy studies, and to raise the level of self-consciousness of scholars active in the field. To this end it discusses why comparative policy studies emerged when and where it did in the 1970s. Then it grapples with the reasons and possible effects of the fact that the very term ‘comparative policy’ is so difficult to translate into non-English languages, and links this to a discussion of problems of conceptual cohesion. The last part assesses the prospects of a field which is seeking to gain and retain intellectual coherence and respect, though not nestled comfortably within a single discipline, and is subject to contending pulls from national and international academic, political and bureaucratic forces.


2008 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 1631-1656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Fink

This article explains the variation of embryo research laws in the Western world. A quantitative analysis shows that theories of partisan influence, institutions, and economic interests are ill suited to explain this variation. Only when cultural factors are considered can the variation be explained. Catholic societies legislate more strictly, and the Catholic Church is an influential actor. This is surprising, as economic interests are very important in the field. But even in a field where the economic stakes are high, the Catholic Church can be successful. The lessons are twofold. First, the discussion about the determinants of embryo research policies is enriched, as the article shows that despite particular discourses, religion is still a major factor and that the field can be fruitfully analyzed using a quantitative approach. Second, the article claims that theories of comparative public policy can benefit from the inclusion of cultural factors.


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