Research Paper on:
Public Policymaking by James E. Anderson

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
of the plethora of policy requirements and regulations that govern the purchase and use of an automobile, Anderson demonstrates how intrinsic policy making is to modern life. Therefore, he argues  it makes sense that all citizens should understand the rudiments of public policymaking, which includes how they are "formed, budgeted, implemented, and evaluated" (p. 1). These goals concisely sum up  the information that Anderson proceeds to impart in his detailed and informative text. The following discussion consists of a chapter-by-chapter overview of Andersons main points. Chapter 1: The  Study of Public Policy This chapter encompasses the nature of public policy and discusses various approaches that have been utilized in studying public policymaking. Anderson (2000) first addresses how  the public perceives and defines public policy, but then points out that for the purposes of study, this definition is too nebulous. Therefore, he cites the definition formulated by  political scientist Carl J. Friedrich, which equates policy with a course of action that is specifically directed toward achieving a specific purpose or goal (Anderson, 2000). Public policies can  be roughly characterized as falling into two basic categories -- substantive or procedural. Substantive polices indicate the goals of government policies, i.e. what government is going to do, build highways,  make welfare benefits, buy airplanes or prohibit the retail sale of alcoholic beverages (Anderson, 2000). Procedural policies refer to how something is going to be accomplished, and who is going  to do it. These policies encompass such matters as enforcing laws against illegal drugs. It is not unusual for procedural policies to have significant substantive consequences. Policies are also  differentiated by the effect that they have on society. Distributive policies involve allocation of services or benefits to a specific segment of the population. Regulatory policies involve imposing restrictions or