Table of Contents

Preface

1. The Development and Limitations of Policy Analysis

2. Expertise and the Use of Policy Analysis 3. Policy Analysis in the State

4. Explaining Variation in Policy Research Organizations 5. Legislators and Policy Analysis

6. The Effectiveness of Nonpartisan Policy Research Organizations 7. Conclusions and Implications: The Politics of Policy Analysis

Appendix: Summary of Survey Responses

References

Index

Promotional Information

Hird conducts the first systematic study of nonpartisan state legislative policy research organizations. He not only describes these important political institutions thoroughly, he also evaluates their effectiveness and shows their place in the political process. -- Christopher Z. Mooney, editor, State Politics and Policy Quarterly Hird's thorough and well-written account should be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in the way policy expertise is institutionalized in governments. -- Bruce Bimber, professor of political science and communication, University of California, Santa Barbara

About the Author

John A. Hird is associate professor of political science and director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; author of The Political Economy of Environmental Risk; and coauthor with Michael Reese and Matthew Shilvock of Controversies in American Public Policy (3rd edition).

Reviews

Hird has produced a book of great merit and insight.
*Political Science Quarterly*

Hird has made a major contribution to the fields of public policy and public administration that enhances knowledge about the significance of nonpartisan policy research organizations at the state level. This book is a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners seeking to better understand the complex policy process in American politics.
*Public Integrity*

This book is a valuable resource for both students and scholars interested in the complex process of policy making in the United States. It is written in a manner that makes it accessible to readers without a background in research methodology and could be utilized in both a graduate or undergraduate classroom. Power, Knowledge, and Politics is a major contribution to the field of public policy, and a good read for anyone interested in policy making in the United States.
*Equal Opportunities International*