J. Fred Springer - Applied Policy Research: Concepts and Cases

Where many textbooks on policy research focus on methodological and statistical theories, leaving students to wonder how they will apply those theories to future policy positions, this innovative textbook takes theories of policy research and puts them into practice, demystifying the subject by translating it into real-world situations in which students can actively engage. Beginning with an orientation and overview of policy research, outlining the processes of policy analysis and evaluation from start to finish, Applied Policy Research, Second Edition then walks students through an examination of case studies to demonstrate how these theories play out in real policy situations. New to this edition:

Illustrative figures help students understand the stages of policy research, and end-of-chapter tools such as discussion questions, assignments and activities, and case studies at a glance help students master not only the particulars of each case but the broader skills needed in future research. Applied Policy Research, Second Edition will be essential reading in all policy research courses with a focus on practical outcomes and student preparation for public service.

J. Fred Springer is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Peter J. Haas serves as Professor at the School of Global Innovation and Leadership, part of the Lucas School and College of Business at San Jose State University, where he also serves as Education Director at the Mineta Transportation Institute, California, USA.

Allan Porowski is a Principal Associate in the Social and Economic Policy Division at Abt Associates, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

J. Fred Springer, Peter J. Haas, and Allan Porowski

Second edition published 2017
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2017 Taylor & Francis

The right of J. Fred Springer, Peter J. Haas, and Allan Porowski to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

First edition published by Routledge 1998

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested.

ISBN: 978-0-415-80507-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-80508-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-87349-6 (ebk)

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To Sydney, Liam, Molly, Nathan, Locke, Kia, Luka, Nyla, Sami, Jack, Kensi, and Greta who make the morning welcome and bright

J. Fred Springer

To my teachers and students

Peter J. Haas

To Angela, Walter, Cynthia, David, and Linda to family

Allan Porowski

J. Fred Springer, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of MissouriSt. Louis, where he was first Director of UMSLs PhD in Policy Analysis program, and taught for eighteen years. Throughout his career, Fred has balanced academic research and publication with applied policy research. He was Research Director for EMT Associates, Inc., from 1986 to 2014, leading more than 100 national, state, and local studies. Major contributions to policy research include the internationally used Individual Protective Factors Index (IPFI) measure of adolescent resiliency and the ground-breaking national High Risk Youth study that received the 2000 American Evaluation Association study of the year award, as well as more than sixty-five journal articles, numerous book chapters, and five books. His current work, with Allan Porowski, focuses on natural variation research designs. Fred received his BA, MA, and PhD degrees in political science at the University of California, Davis.

Peter J. Haas, PhD, is currently Education Director at the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University. In that role, he administers a statewide program that prepares transportation professionals for upper-level management and executive positions throughout the transportation industry. He is also a member of the faculty of School of Global Innovation and Leadership in the Lucas College of Business at SJSU and has previously served as the Director of the Master of Public Administration program. Haas earned his doctorate from the Department of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1985. In 2003, Haas was awarded a Senior Specialist Grant from the Fulbright Foundation to teach and study in Latvia. In 2010, Haas received the Warburton Award as outstanding scholar in the College of Social Sciences at SJSU. For the past thirty years, he has also served as a consultant on applied policy research projects for local, state, and federal government agencies, as well as nonprofit organizations.