The Art of Policymaking: Tools, Techniques and Processes in the Modern Executive Branch

The Art of Policymaking: Tools, Techniques and Processes in the Modern Executive Branch, Second Edition is a practical introduction to the specific tools, techniques, and processes used to create policy in the executive branch of the U.S. government.  George E. Shambaugh, IV and Paul Weinstein, Jr. explain how government officials develop policy, manage the policymaking process, and communicate those policies to stakeholders and the public at large.  The authors draw on both their academic and government experience to provide real-world advice on writing policy decision memos, preparing polling questions, and navigating the clearance process.  An abundance of case studies show how actual policies are developed and how and why policies and processes differ across administrations. Finally, practice scenarios allow students to apply the tools and techniques they have learned by working through both domestic and foreign policy situations.

Table of Contents:
CHAPTER 1: WHY THE POLICYMAKING PROCESS MATTERS Objective Situating the Tools, Techniques and Processes in the Existing Literature Promoting Presidential Leadership and Management through the Policymaking Process The Importance of Procedural Legitimacy in Building Policy Support Conclusion PART I. THE POLICYMAKERS CHAPTER 2: THE WHITE HOUSE POLICY COUNCILS The Policy Councils and the Structure of The Executive Branch How the Policy Councils Operate and Why They Are Important The White House Policy Councils Key Agencies Within the Executive Office of the President Conclusion CHAPTER 3: THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF Working on the White House Staff Other Key Players in the White House Interaction with the Media White House Gatekeepers Conclusion CHAPTER 4: AGENCIES AND POLICY IMPLEMENTATION Executive Agencies and Departments and Executive Branch Policymaking The Role of Agencies Implementing Policy Decisions Conclusion CHAPTER 5: POLICY MANAGEMENT Policy Management and Procedural Legitimacy Models of Policy Management Policy Czars and War Rooms Conclusion PART II. TOOLS OF THE TRADE CHAPTER 6: POLICYMAKING MEMORANDA Tools of the Trade The Role of the Memorandum The Decision-making Memorandum The Information Memorandum The Weekly Report Conclusion CHAPTER 7: THE STATE OF THE UNION AND THE BUDGET PROCESS Timing Your Swing: Understanding Internal Workflows in the Executive Branch State of the Union The Budget Conclusion CHAPTER 8: POLICY IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS Implementation Tools Authorizing Tools Recommending the Right Policy Tool Conclusion CHAPTER 9: LEGISLATIVE CLEARANCE AND COORDINATION: SAPS, LRMS, AND OTHER POLICY ACRONYMS Legislative Clearance and Coordination Legislative Responsibility in the Executive Branch The Clearance Process Clearance of Agency Testimony and Reports on Pending Legislation Conclusion CHAPTER 10: POLLING AND THE POLICYMAKING PROCESS Polling and Policymaking: Myths and Realities Rebuttals to Common Criticisms Polling Basics Who Polls for the White House? Conclusion CHAPTER 11: COMMUNICATING AND MARKETING POLICY The Importance of Communicating and Marketing Policy Speechwriting Communications Press Office Conclusion PART III. CASE STUDIES CHAPTER 12: SOCIAL POLICYMAKING: WELFARE REFORM DURING THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION Welfare Reform and the Political Process The Early Phase: Decentralization, Debate, and Deadlock Phase II: Action, Response, and Resolution Conclusion: Making the Process Work CHAPTER 13: ECONOMIC POLICYMAKING I: THE CLINTON ECONOMIC PLAN The Economic Plan and the Political Process Phase I: The Economic Plan and the NEC Establishing the Management Role of the NEC The NEC Process Communicating and Marketing the Economic Plan Securing Passage of the Bill Conclusion and Lessons Learned CHAPTER 14: ECONOMIC POLICYMAKING II: THE SIMPSON-BOWLES COMMISSION UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA Introduction Using the Process to Overcome a Stacked Deck Representative Membership Outreach Assigning Accountability and Putting Issues on the Table The Outcome Conclusions and Lessons for the Policymaking Process CHAPTER 15: SECURITY POLICYMAKING I: DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM UNDER GEORGE H. W. BUSH Security Crises and the Political Process Responding to the Crisis The Initial Response Containment and the Decision to Double U.S. Ground Forces Conclusion CHAPTER 16: SECURITY POLICYMAKING II: THE SURGE AND IRAQ WAR UNDER GEORGE W. BUSH Changing Policy The Unpredictability of Being an Honest Broker Sparking Debate and Incubating Ideas Breaking Some China Presenting New Ideas Promoting the President’s Agenda Conclusion PART IV. SCENARIOS CHAPTER 17: PRACTICE SCENARIOS Practice Scenarios GLOSSARY INDEX

About the Author :
Dr. George E. Shambaugh, IV is Professor of International Affairs and Government at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Director of the Masters of Science in Foreign Service Program, and former chairman of the Department of Government at Georgetown University. He holds a Ph.D. and M. Phil. in Political Science, and an M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University, as well as a B.A. in Government and Physics from Oberlin College. His research focuses on international political economy, international politics, foreign policy, and the environment. Dr. Shambaugh is the author of Oracles, Heroes or Villains: Economic Policymakers, National Politicians, and the Power to Shape Markets (Cambridge 2019), States, Firms, and Power: Successful Sanctions in U.S. Foreign Policy (SUNY, 1999), co-author of the first and second editions of The Art of Policymaking: Tools, Techniques, and Processes in the Modern Executive Branch (Longman, 2003, Sage 2016), co-editor of Anarchy and the Environment: The International Politics of Common Pool Resources (SUNY, 1999), and co-editor of three issues of Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in American Foreign Policy (McGraw-Hill, 2006, 2008, 2010). His articles have appeared in a range of journals, including the PLoS One, Sustainability, American Journal of Political Science, International Studies Quarterly, The Journal of Peace Research, Review of International Studies, Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, International Politics, Environmental Politics, International Interactions, and Security Dialogue. He has received grants and awards from the National Science Foundation, the Smith Richardson Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the MacArthur Foundation, the International Studies Association, the American Political Science Association, and the Oberlin Alumni Foundation, and he has been a MacArthur Foundation and Dwight D. Eisenhower/Clifford Roberts Fellow. Paul J. Weinstein, Jr. is the Cofounder and Director of the Graduate Program in Public Management at Johns Hopkins University. He also directs the schools Masters program in Nonprofit Management. He holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. A veteran of two presidential administrations, he was senior adviser to the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (Simpson-Bowles), which President Obama created to address the nation’s mid- and long-term fiscal challenges. Weinstein formerly served as special assistant to the president and chief of staff of the White House Domestic Policy Council and then later as Senior Advisor for Policy Planning to Vice President Gore during the Clinton Administration. Before that, Weinstein served as a senior legislative aide to then-Representative C. Thomas McMillen (D-MD) and then-Senator Albert Gore, Jr. (D-TN). Since 2001, Weinstein has served as a senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute, where he was chief operating officer for five years. He currently serves on the organization’s advisory board. He also consults for the IntraFi Network and is the primary author of its quarterly bank survey. He has advised numerous elected officials, including former governors Jennifer Granholm and Christine Gregoire, and has worked for or advised five presidential candidates. Weinstein has taught at Johns Hopkins University since 2003 and has also lectured at Columbia University and Georgetown University. He is co-author of the first and second editions of The Art of Policymaking: Tools, Techniques, and Processes in the Modern Executive Branch (Longman, 2003, Sage 2016). He has written chapters in a number of other books, and his writing has also appeared in USA Today, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, The Baltimore Sun, CNN, New York Newsday, Forbes, Investor’s Business Daily, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Daily News, and Politico, among others.

Review :
"I have used Shambaugh’s text every year since 2006 because of its unique approach among policy textbooks.  It is the only one that centers on the White House and the only one written by a person who has actually worked there. The argument for this book has only grown in importance since its original publication and will continue to increase for the foreseeable future."