Abstract: 

Uniting theoretical bases and advancements in practice, the Routledge Handbook of Policy Design brings together leading experts in the academic field of policy design in a pioneering effort of scholarship. Each chapter provides a multi-topic overview of the state of knowledge on how, why, where or when policies are designed and how such designs can be improved.

These experts address how a new emphasis on effective policy design has re-emerged ​in public policy studies in recent years ​and ​clarify the role of historical policy decisions, policy capacities and government intentions in　promoting a design orientation towards ​policy formulation and policy-making more generally. They examine many previously unexplored aspects of policy designs and designing activities, which focus upon analyzing and improving the sets of policy tools adopted by governments to correct policy problems.　

Ranging from the fundamentals of policy design and its place in greater policy studies, to new questions regarding policy design content and ​effectiveness, to contemporary design trends such as the use of digital tools and big data, the Routledge Handbook of Policy Design is a comprehensive reference for students and scholars of public policy, public administration and public management, government and business.

Reviews:

'This excellent handbook covers the gamut of scholarship on policy design, linking processes to choices and choices to outcomes. Distinguishing between design and non-design (where there is no intention to instrumentally match ends and means to attain policy goals), the editors set the scene for a collection of chapters that address the complex processes through which policy emerges. The contributions cover policy design from different angles – from instrument choice-based versions, to policy mixes, through to the recent ‘design thinking’ turn. For anyone wanting a comprehensive overview of where policy design research has been, and where it might be going, this book is a must.'

—Jenny M Lewis, Professor of Public Policy, The University of Melbourne, Australia

'The study of policy design has returned to a central position in the study of public policy. This extensive collection of research on policy design demonstrates the richness of that research, and illustrates a number of important dimensions of design work in public policy. As well as the technical issues of design, the collection points to the political and social context within which design takes place. This is a very high quality collection that will benefit any student of public policy.'

—B. Guy Peters, Maurice Falk Professor of Government, University of Pittsburgh

About the Editors

Michael Howlett is Burnaby Mountain Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in the Department of Political Science at Simon Fraser University, Canada. He specializes in public policy analysis and resource and environmental policy.

Ishani Mukherjee is Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Singapore Management University. She specializes in the environmental and energy policy domain with an emphasis on policy instruments for resource sustainability, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

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