Transparency in Public Policy

Transparency in Public Policy: Great Britain and the United States identifies competing forces on policy design and implementation. The book addresses the issue of policy transparency: are policies easily understood; how is information about public policies made available; is accountability for outcomes clear; and do citizens know what role they play in the implementation of policy? Framed within the context of comparative international policy discussions, this volume examines how recent policy design has been influenced by combinations of market-based, regulatory and legal mechanisms. Major public policy areas are discussed: primary and emergency health care, primary and secondary education, the environment, gun control and public budgeting. Realizing the complex nature of international comparisons, consistent themes emerge across nations about the most fundamental forces that shape policy: history, political culture, competing stakeholder demands, and the complicated dynamics of organizations. Continued exploration of these forces can enhance our understanding of how governmental systems operate, and how they might be improved.