The Political Process of Policymaking A Pragmatic Approach to Public Policy

Far from being defenceless when faced with inextricable problems such as inequality, unemployment, poverty, precarious situations or global warming, governments continuously increase the policy proposals for new action, reforms or transformation. Nevertheless, their inability to solve problems, which is occasionally penalised by democratic voting or by changeovers, never challenges the political system itself. To understand this astonishing political stability within a disordered world, Philippe Zittoun looks at the 'policymaking process' as a political activity which defines, propagates and imposes public policy proposals as a means to 'restore order' within society. Based on a significant study as well as on surveys carried out at the heart of the policymaking process, this innovative approach to public policy leads us to identify policymakers as true modern Sisyphuses.

Philippe Zittoun is Professor of Political Science at LET-ENTPE, University of Lyon, France. He is Vice-Chair of the IPSA 'Public Policy' Research Committee and coordinator of the International Conference on Public Policy. He is also a member of the editorial board of several international journals such as Critical Policy Studies, Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, Policy and Society. His research focuses on understanding the policymaking process and, in particular, on the importance of discursive struggles, argumentative strategies, political aspects and the role of actors.

Introduction: The Political Processof Policymaking
PART I: CREATING SOCIAL DISORDER CONSTRUCTING, PROPAGATING AND POLICITISING SOCIAL PROBLEMS
1. A Pragmatic Approach to Public Problems
2. Definitional Struggles Around Unacceptable Problems
PART II: DEFINING SOLUTION, A COMPLEX BRICOLAGE TO SOLVE PUBLIC PROBLEMS
1. Between Stratagem and Cognitive Bricolage: The Contribution of Simon and Lindblom
2. From Cognitive Bricolage to Language Games
3. The Five Couplings in Defining Solutions
4. From Coupling to Restoring Political Order
PART III: PROPAGATING SOLUTION, ARGUMENTATIVE STRATEGIES TO CEMENT COALITIONS
1. Arguing to Persuade
2. Discussion as a Test of Persuasion Strategies
3. From Persuasion to Diffusion, Building Discursive Coalitions
PART IV: POLICY STATEMENTS TO LEGITIMISE 'DECISION-MAKERS'
1. The Paradoxes of Taking Positions into Account
2. The Definitional Issues of a Topography of Positions
3. The 'Decision' to Fix Topographies Within Statements
4. An Empirical Example of Decision: Political Decision-making of the Paris Tramway
Conclusion: How Public Policy Shapes Politics