The Relevance of Political Science

'This stimulating volume bring together a host of well-known scholars to consider how, when and why political science contributes - or fails to contribute - policy-relevant insights to real-world concerns.' - Pippa Norris, Harvard University, USA, and the University of Sydney, Australia 'The call for relevance has been made ever more strongly in recent years. Few political scientists would disagree with this laudable aim, but they often do not know what relevance is, whether it is always to be preferred, and how to be relevant. The Relevance of Political Science ably answers these questions and many more. It addresses core intellectual issues about the nature of our discipline and offers solutions about how to broaden and deepen the intellectual endeavour.' - Peter John, University College London, UK

Gerry Stoker is Professor of Politics, University of Southampton, UK and Centenary Professor at the University of Canberra, Australia. Jon Pierre is Professor of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. B. Guy Peters is Maurice Falk Professor of Government, University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Introduction; the Editors PART I 1. Challenging Three Blockages to Relevance and Political Science: the Obvious, the Avoidable and the Thorny; Gerry Stoker 2. The Relevance of Relevance; John Gerring 3. Relevant to whom? Relevant for what? The Role and Public Responsibility of the Political Analyst; Colin Hay 4. The Rediscovery of the Political Imagination; Matthew Flinders 5. Guilty as Charged? Human Well-Being and the Unsung Relevance of Political Science; Bo Rothstein 6. Why Did Nobody Warn US? Political Science and the Crisis; Graham Wilson PART II 7. The Relevance of the Academic Study of Public Policy; Sarah Giest, Michael Howlett and Ishani Mukherjee 8. Why Political Theory Matters; Thom Brooks 9. Constructivism and Interpretive Approaches: Especially Relevant or Especially Not?; Craig Parsons 10. Is Comparative Politics Useful? If so, for What?; B. Guy Peters 11. Can Political Science Solve the Puzzles of Global Governance?; Jon Pierre 12. Maximising the Relevance of Political Science for Public Policy in the Era of Big Data; Helen Margetts Conclusion; the Editors.