Social Policy and Social Programs: A Method for the Practical Public Policy Analyst (4th Edition)

A popular and practical exploration of the basics of social policy and program analysis, including how to design new programs or evaluate and improve upon existing ones. The fourth edition Social Policy and Social Programs continues to benefit anyone with a practical interest in the analysis, evaluation and design of social policy and programs. Readers begin with a historical overview of perspectives on social problems as well as social program and policy provisions. From this foundation, they learn how to identify important past court decisions that have shaped the way a social program or policy is implemented. The authors Donald E. Chambers and Kenneth Wedel then discuss methods for obtaining and analyzing evaluative criteria for judging the effectiveness of major policy and program elements in order to improve both existing programs and future work in creating a new one.