Constraints, choices and public policies

A large number of studies have compared policy outputs across national and local political systems. This book evaluates the validity of four theo ries of public policy making. Two of these theories suggest that govern mental decisions are the product of external constraints and are determined either by economic conditions or social needs. According to the other two theories, public policies are determined by political choices which reflect either the ideology of the ruling political party or the self interests of polit icans and bureaucrats.

The book develops a framework for evaluating the validity of these the ories and applies it to evidence drawn from analyses of local policy varia tion in the U.K.. Little of the evidence can be taken at face value because of theoretical and methodological flaws in the empirical studies. Neverthe less, by subjecting the evidence to critical scrutiny it is possible to draw conclusions on both the empirical validity of the theories and their logical coherence.