Description:This book - the English version of a textbook for policy practitioners in Switzerland and France - explains key ideas from law, sociology, political science, and administrative science and is written in a way that is comprehensible to readers who may not have an academic background in the social sciences. The book is based on analysis and research carried out by the authors and applied to different domains of public action. It presents a model for the analysis of public policy, as well as examples of the application of this model in everyday political-administrative situations. It also explores the key elements in policy analysis looking at definitions of policy, the kinds of policy actors, the resources used, and the impact of institutions.