Critical Policy Studies

Critical Policy Studies conveys a clear sense that there is much anew and exciting in the field of policy analysis in Canada. It will occupy a significant place in the discipline, opening up new avenues for scholars and policy-makers, and offering a distinctive and enlightening perspective for political science students. -- Alain Noel, editor of Federalism and Labour Market Policy: Comparing Different Governance and Employment Strategies Critical Policy Studies is, quite simply, a breath of fresh air. It is a timely intervention into the study of public policy in Canada that covers important substantive ground and raises critical questions about the boundaries of policy studies as a field. This book will excite undergraduate and graduate students and stimulate new approaches to the study of public policy in Canada -- Leah Vosko, editor of Precarious Employment: Understanding Labour Market Insecurity in Canada

Critical Policy Studies describes how new policy problems such as border screening and global warming have been catapulted onto the agenda in the neo-liberal era.

Traditional definitions of public policy in Canada have been challenged in recent years by globalization, the transition to a knowledge-based economy, and the rise of new technologies. Critical Policy Studies describes how new policy problems such as border screening and global warming have been catapulted onto the agenda in the neo-liberal era. The book also surveys the recent evolution of critical approaches to policy studies, which have transformed decades-old issues.

Contributors conceptualize the ways in which public policy questions cut across the traditional fields of policy. They cover both topical approaches such as Foucauldian and post-empiricist analysis and new applications of established perspectives, such as political economy. Conventional methodologies reveal new connotations when used to explore such topics as security issues, Canadian sovereignty, welfare reform, environmental protocol, Aboriginal policy, and reproductive technologies.

Critical Policy Studies provides an alternative to existing approaches to policy studies, and will be welcomed by scholars, students, and practitioners of political science and public policy.