Comparing Public Policies: Issues and Choices in Six Industrialized Countries

How do the public policies of the United States stack up against those of Japan, Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom? Comparing Public Policies combines a conceptual discussion of policy-making with an examination of seven specific policy areas using a cross-national perspective. It first considers the role of cultural, economic, political, and institutional influences on policy-making, and then looks systematically at seven major issue areas: immigration, fiscal policy, taxation, health care, social policy, education, and the environment. The book will serve as a gateway reference tool for students conducting research in comparative public policy and should be carried in libraries at colleges and universities where international studies courses are taught.