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The field of policy theory abounds with numerous theories, with each theory having a set of practitioners that are working independently of the others. Resolving conflicts among policy theories as a result is difficult. This essay has a more modest goal of posing some questions and suggesting some avenues for future research. Key points include defining the purpose of policy theory, incorporating management into our theories, making strategic choices about areas of study, addressing the parsimony‐comprehensiveness tradeoff, and providing a more nuanced role for institutions.

This article deals with theories in practice. A policy theory is defined as the total of causal and other assumptions underlying a policy. It can be reconstructed and represented in several ways, for instance by means of causal hypotheses, graphs, goal trees, and decision trees. A combination of these different ways of reconstruction is possible. The quality of a policy theory can be evaluated on the basis of several criteria, for example, the precision of formulation, the differentiation, the integration, the empirical value, and the legitimacy of the policy theory. In order to get more insight in the determinants of policy theories, it is important to compare them in longitudinal and cross-sectional research. The structure and quality of policy theories have effects on the contents, the process, and the results of a policy. It is a plausible hypothesis that the goal attainment of a policy will be higher as the precision, the differentiation, the integration, the empirical value, and the legitimacy of a policy theory are higher.

This research note synthesizes the main theoretical frameworks in public policy. The concept of policy knots ties policy cycles, multiple streams, punctuated equilibrium, and other frameworks into one useful analytical tool. We introduce two particular policy knots—the granny knot and the clinch knot—to demonstrate the utility of the concept. As an illustration, we examine climate change policy in the United States in order to show the challenges of tying and securing a policy knot.

This article presents a method to reconstruct policy theories as argumentations, illustrated by road safety policies in the Netherlands. A policy theory is defined as an actor's integrated set of assumptions with regard to a policy. To date, the literature on policy theories has not applied reconstruction methods so that the assumptions of an actor were represented as a whole. Goal and decision trees, path diagrams, and process models have, up to now, not represented all types of policy assumptions (final, causal, normative, and descriptive policy assumptions) within one integrated theory. If a policy theory is viewed as an argumentation for policy contents, a method is provided whereby all assumptions can be integrated into an argumentation. The method links the assumptions to elements of policy contents in such a way that the assumptions are premises in a policy actor's reasoning that provide the basis for the policy goals chosen, for the instruments for achieving those goals, and for the proposed timing.

Presents a method to reconstruct policy theories as argumentations, illustrated by road safety policies in the Netherlands. The method links the assumptions to elements of policy contents in such a way that the assumptions are premises in a policy actor's reasoning that provide the basis for the policy goals chosen, for the instruments for achieving those goals, and for the proposed timing. (Original abstract-amended)

Social Policy: Theory and practice is a fully revised, updated and extended edition of a bestselling social policy textbook, extensively reworked and adapted to meet the needs of its international readership. The book lays out the architecture of social policy as a field of study, binding the discussion of theory to the understanding of social policy in practice. It aims to provide students and practitioners with a sense of the scope, range and purpose of the subject while developing critical awareness of problems, issues and common fallacies. Written in an accessible and engaging style, it ex

Entrepreneurship Policy: Theory and Practice is the first book to fully analyze the construction of entrepreneurship policy, a rapidly-evolving area of policy about which little is known. From a study and assessment of the practices of governments in thirteen countries in Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific, this book fully describes the policy area and shares new tools and methods for better understanding and explaining the why and how of an entrepreneurship policy approach. Unlike other research in the field of entrepreneurship where implications from research findings are used to suggest what policy actions should be taken to increase the level of entrepreneurship in an economy, this study is based on what entrepreneurship policy actions are being taken. This is a unique book in the field which points to the way forward both for policymakers and for the research community in terms of thinking about entrepreneurship policy and the complex issues surrounding its development. TOC:Introduction.- Entrepreneurship Policy-Definitions.- The Typology Description.- Context-The Base of Entrepreneurship Policy, A Conceptual Model for Entrepreneurship.- Evaluation Problems and Perspectives.- Completing the Journey.- Concluding Remarks.- Appendix.

Economic Policy: Theory and Practice, Second Edition provides a unique combination of facts-based analysis, state-of-the art economic theory and insights from first-hand policy experience at the national and international levels to shed light on current domestic and international policy challenges and discuss policy responses.