What Is Policy Analysis?

Policy analysis plays an important role in government decisions.

Policy analysis involves the systematic comparison and analysis of a set of policy alternatives to determine which option is most lkely to achieve a set of objectives - whether political, economic, social, or otherwise. Government officials and agencies frequently use policy analysis techniques.

Function

Policy analysis helps determine the optimal policy action, given existing political and economic constraints.

Features

Policy analysis employs many of the research methods used in the social sciences, including economics, sociology and political science, to compare and analyze policy options.

Significance

Despite its strong association with the public sector, policy analysis occurs in the private and nonprofit sectors as well. Businesses and nonprofit agencies can use the same techniques to assess policy options.

Benefits

Policy analysts often weigh the costs of different policy options against the expected benefits. However, the benefits can be difficult to measure in monetary terms.

Considerations

Public policy analysis occurs in a political environment and must consider the political consequences of different policy actions, such as interests likely to support or oppose certain policies.

References

• Public Policy Analysis: An Introduction, William Dunn, 1994
• Public Policy Making, James E. Anderson, 1994