How Policy Shapes Politics

The contribution of the book is a map of policy complexity with a focus on two engaging "policy designs," adversarial and bureaucratic legalism. In this it advances the tradition of law and society scholarship by linking scholarship from the broader and more sophisticated study of law to the field through three lively cases. * J. Brigham, University of Massachusetts, CHOICE *
Brilliant! How Policy Shapes Politics is a landmark. It shows that how we compensate for injuries or illness is a fateful policy choice. One path leads to sharp political conflict with big winners and losers, the other to stable, reasoned and reasonable distribution of costs and benefits. Richly based in evidence and elegantly composed, this study is a must-read for scholars of law, tort litigation, and how public policies- including judicial decisions- shape politics. * Charles R. Epp, Professor, School of Public Affairs and Administration at the University of Kansas *
I know of no book that does a better job explaining how 'adversarial legalism' shapes public policy. Using well-crafted case studies and carefully designed quantitative analysis, Barnes and Burke help us understand the different patterns of politics created by bureaucratic legalism and adversarial legalism. The clarity and depth of their case studies make this a great book for both undergraduate courses and graduate seminars. * R. Shep Melnick, Thomas P. O'Neill Professor of American Politics, Boston College *