Rezension: Colebatch, Hal K. & Hoppe, Robert (Eds.) (2018): Handbook on Policy, Process and Governing

Abstract

Unlike its numerous predecessors, this new handbook does not aim at offering an authoritative overview about the foundations of public policy research, and its many branches and achievements, but strives to improve and integrate the theorizing about policies and the policy process, embracing both the practice of governing and the analysis of this practice. For this, it wants "to shift the focus from 'the policy process' to 'policy-as-process' ". The book contains 27 contributions from 32 authors, both established colleagues as well as younger ones. It is organized in five sections (foundations, policies as authoritative choice, as structured interaction, as sense-making and finally the limits of policy). In order to better understand the intentions and achievements of the book it is best to start with the final, summarizing chapter. The editors concede, "since the 1990s policy process theorizing has reached a plateau with only incremental additions", so there are not many new theoretical insights, but an interesting and stimulating overview about the theoretical implications of existing theories and research.