Implementing Public Policy

This text is essential reading for anyone interested in implementation. Hill and Hupe cover critical debates in their own distinctive voice, but also explore key avenues that make the study of implementation so essential in the context of the multiple crises of the state in the 21st century. This new edition deserves to be at the centre of any conversation about the future study and practice of implementation. -- Martin Lodge
Hill and Hupe’s Implementing Public Policy remains a classic, indispensable, and useful reference for scholars of policy implementation. Providing an original perspective on the study of the operational side of public policy, the fourth edition contains many timely updates including two thoughtful chapters on populism and street-level bureaucracy. -- Eva Thomann

This advances on earlier editions with a more explicit conceptualization of implementation in terms of governance. Two entirely new chapters have been added: addressing the consequences of populism and exploring the contribution of street-level bureaucracy to the study of implementation. Additionally the chapter on research stresses the need for it to have a comparative, particularly cross-national, character; and the concluding chapter explores the extent to which recent approaches such as the introduction of the notion of ‘implementation science′ provide new insights.

-- Social Policy Association

Ever since the first edition of Hill and Hupe’s masterful book Implementing Public Policy was published in 2002, it has become the first port-of-call for those interested in unpacking and discussing the theories, tools and techniques behind putting policies into practice. Each edition has become the ‘Doctor Who’ of policy implementation – retaining its core characteristics but regenerating for a new era. This new 4^th edition has done it again – retaining classic issues of policy implementation (such as top down vs bottom up debates), but tackling the impact on implementation of contemporary governance, populism, Brexit,  ‘post-truth’ financial crises, climate change and COVID.  In a nutshell, there is no greater challenge for policy implementation than ‘populist’ policies, disregard for science and expertise, and the vilification of street-level bureaucrats on the front-line of trying to make policies work.

Implementing Public Policy is the ‘go to’ work on the subject, written by two academic experts who are steeped in findings ways to help us understand the opportunities, perils and pitfalls of putting policies into practice in a complex, politicised and ever-changing world.  It is best to avoid thinking of policy implementation as mundane and mechanistic. Just like the Tardis, the 4^th edition of Implementing Public Policy is bigger on the inside.

-- Professor Emeritus Allan McConnell * Email *

 Hill and Hupe′s "Implementing Public Policy" remains an enduring, essential, and invaluable resource for anyone interested in the study of policy implementation. Proposing a pioneering perspective on the operational facets of public policy, the fourth edition boasts significant enhancements, prominently featuring the inclusion of two new chapters. In Chapter 6, these esteemed scholars delve into the repercussions of populism, while Chapter 9 focuses on characterizing street-level bureaucracy research and its invaluable contributions to implementation studies. These newly added chapters distinctly fortify the enduring significance of this classic book.

-- Nissim Cohen * Email *

This new edition of Michael Hill′s and Peter Hupe′s classic work on policy implementation is a most welcome addition to the literature. The book provides a comprehensive review of key implementation topics, from the top-down vs. bottom-up debate, to the influence of contemporary populist movements on implementation processes. While it is a serious academic work, with updated references and solid theoretical discussions, the book is written in a very accessible way. Each chapter is filled with interesting insights and useful boxes that summarize key points. For all this, the book might be relevant for both graduate and undergraduate students, and for policymakers and practitioners interested in learning how policy ideas are translated into policy actions. As with the previous editions, Hill and Hupe′s book is both the best introduction to the subject, and an excellent point of departure to reflect about the future of implementation studies. 

-- Mauricio I. Dussauge-Laguna * email *