Political Economy of Public Policy

Abstract This chapter explains public policy making and implementation from a political economy perspective. It is argued that the making and implementation of public policy is enveloped in contestations and bargaining between interest groups with competing claims over rights and resources. The use and control of political power helps shape the direction and class character of public policy. The policy outcomes help to further reproduce the position of the ruling class in control of the state apparatus. This chapter examines the concepts of political economy and public policy, and discusses some of the variants of political economy and how each conceives of public policy making process and implementation. The chapter further discusses the role of political economy in problem-solving and finally, how political economy approaches evidence in public policy research.