Policy Analysis

Although the term policy analysis has many usages, Radin’s work is concerned with ex ante, formal advice for decision makers. In seven chapters, she takes great pains to contrast “old model” policy analysis based on formal budgeting schemes and benefit-cost calculus with the more liberated “new model” policy analysis where anything goes with respect to method and scope of activity. She judges new model analysis superior to the old model, because it allows greater scope of action for people who call themselves policy analysts (presumably those who hold a master’s in public policy degree). It also gives permission for the use of more interpretative methods of analysis. Good but unprivileged and competing arguments are the sine qua non of new model policy analysis. New model epistemology allows and, indeed, requires making clients aware of the organizational constraints and politics involved in deciding between alternatives. Once upon a time, say, between 1930 and 1970, old model policy analysts believed there existed some single decision maker about to take some identifiable, well-defined decision under risk or uncertainty. This decision was to be made within a very short time, and it would be made with or without ex ante information about the social costs and benefits. The primary work of old model policy analysts was codifying the social benefits and costs of the alternatives using objective, preferably quantitative and reproducible applied social and decision science. Better, or