Introduction to Public Policy

Charles Wheelan is the author of the best-selling Naked Statistics and Naked Economics and is a former correspondent for the Economist. He teaches public policy at Dartmouth College and lives in Hanover, New Hampshire, with his family.

"By far the best textbook for a course in undergraduate public policy. I have been looking for a text that really incorporates economics into the study of public policy. One cannot truly understand the politics behind policy, and how to analyze policies, without having a basic background in economics, especially microeconomics…Each chapter is beautifully written… I am looking forward to using this text."

• Section I: What Is Public Policy?Chapter 1: Public Decision MakingChapter 2: Why Is It So Hard to Make the World a Better Place?Section II: Why We Do What We DoChapter 3: Understanding Individual Behavior: Rational Man and WomanChapter 4: Understanding Group Behavior: Collective ActionChapter 5: Evaluating Social WelfareSection III: Markets and GovernmentChapter 6: The Political ProcessChapter 7: The Market SystemChapter 8: The Role of GovernmentSection IV: Tools for AnalysisChapter 9: Gathering and Measuring InformationChapter 10: Basic Data AnalysisChapter 11: Introduction to Regression AnalysisChapter 12: Benefit-Cost AnalysisChapter 13: Program EvaluationSection V: Making PolicyChapter 14: The Role of InstitutionsChapter 15: Policy Design