Living the Policy Process

Policymaking in large bureaucracies is hardly a simple process. Even themost respected policymakers have to contend with obstacles that seemingly havelittle to do with the issue at hand--office politics, work structure, andshifting political environments. Yet learning to manage such complexenvironments is necessary for good policymaking. In Living the Policy Process,Philip Heymann outlines the complex thought processes of policymakers as theystruggle to influence both foreign and domestic policy decisions from within theUnited States government bureaucracy. Focusing on three critical situations to illuminate the politics of policychoice-the successful attempt to sell missiles to the Mujahideen in Afghanistanin the 1980s; the Iran-Contra scandal; and the FDA's attempt to regulate smokingas well as the efforts to do the same by an outside lobbyist-Heymann dissectsthe intuitive yet rigorous framework that highly skilled policymakers follow toinfluence government outcomes. Throughout, he offers detailed accounts of thepolicy process at work in the Reagan, first Bush, and Clinton administrations,from the cabinet level down to the middle tiers of the federal bureaucracy. Heymann deftly describes the shifting real-world conditions that governmentofficials face as they struggle to shape the policy agenda. Ultimately, Livingthe Policy Process offers a clear, incisive look at the complex considerationsinvolved from all perspectives, with concrete examples, and enriches theunderstanding of the overall policy process for students, scholars, andpractitioners.

Philip B. Heymann is the James Barr Ames Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Throughout his long career in government, he has served in various capacities at the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State. He is the author of numerous books, including The Politics of Public Managementand Terrorism, Freedom, and Security.