Political Economy for Public Policy

This textbook uses mathematical models to outline the general principles of political economy for public policy students and explain the constraints imposed by the political process on public policy. It focuses on the normative foundations of policy making, including political and social theory and the Paretian and utilitarian basis of policy analysis; the fundamental aspects of social life that create opportunities for public policy to improve social welfare; and technological and incentive constraints on achieving good policy outcomes. Some knowledge of basic game theory and simple calculus is assumed. Annotation ©2016 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)