Designing Public Policies

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

“This is an essential guide for those who seek to improve the design of public policies. This edition adds consideration of why policy designs look the way they do and the potential darkside of misplaced designs. The discussion of various aspects of policy design incorporates a wealth of up-to-date scholarship.”Peter J. May, Donald R. Matthews Distinguished Professor Emeritus of American Politics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA“Designing Public Policies is a comprehensive, engaging, and highly readable text. The third edition retains the qualities of earlier editions, adding a layer of insights that makes it a must read for all students of public policy, administration, and management interested in policy design in contemporary governance.”Moshe Maor, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel“In recent years, the literature on policy design has expanded massively. In the third edition of his widely used book, Mike Howlett distils the most important elements of thinking into sixteen accessibly written chapters which will serve the needs of academics and policy practitioners. Highly recommended.”Andrew Jordan, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Norwich, UK"Michael Howlett’s Designing Public Policies: Principles and Instruments has long been a foremost text on public policy design. This revised edition effectively couples foundational knowledge on policy instruments and contemporary thinking on the study and practice of policy design that increasingly accounts for behavioral considerations and policy mixes. It is thus an even more important and relevant text for academics, practitioners, and students interested in public policy design."Saba Siddiki, Associate Professor of Public Administration, Syracuse University, USA“Howlett has produced a tour de force on one of the most fundamental concepts in public policy. This revised edition provides readers with a magisterial overview of policy design and instruments, and recent developments in the field. A must read for scholars, students and practitioners of public policy.”Azad Singh Bali, University of Melbourne & Hamad Bin Khalifa University."The latest edition of Designing Public Policies is an authoritative book on policy design with a focus on modern-day governance challenges. This book will be a valuable resource for policy scholars and students by drawing attention to the features of diverse policy instruments and how these can be leveraged for better policy design."Sreeja Nair, Assistant Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

• Part I: Introduction: Policy Design and Governance in the Modern State 1. Understanding the Role of Policy Design in Contemporary Policy Making 2. Policy Design in the Contemporary Era: Beyong Globalization and Governance Part II: Systematically Studying Policy Design 3. What is Policy Design?: Key Definitions and Concepts in the Study of Policy Design 4. What do Policy Designs and Policy Design Processes Look Like? 5. Why Policy Design?: Tools, Behavioural Mechanisms, and the Need for Policy Design Part III: Policy Designing: Processes and Practices 6. When Does Policy Design Occur and Why?: Policy Designing as Policy Formulation in the Face of Uncertainty 7. Who are the Policy Designers and Where do they Work?: Policy Advice, Policy Advisors and Policy Advisory Systems Part IV: The Elements of Policy Design: Policy Instruments and Instruments Mixes 8. Policy Designs and Policy Portfolios: The Origins of Policy Instrument Study as Field of Academic Inquiry 9. Organisational Tools 10. Authority-Based Policy Tools 11. Financial or Treasure-based Tools 12. Information-based Policy Tools 13. Traditional Policy Styles and Contemporary Design Trends Part V: Lessons for Policy Designs and Designers 14. How to Best Assemble and Evaluate a Policy Design: Character and Context in Contemporary Policy Designs 15. Dealing with the Darkside of Policy Design Part VI: Conclusion 16. The Capacity Challenges of Policy Design Over Space and Time