Methods of policy analysis: the US and Turkish cases

Abstract

This chapter reviews the methods and techniques of policy research and analysis commonly used in national and international policy studies, analyses and education. The chapter first discusses the positivist and post-positivist (interpretivist) approaches to policy analysis and research after a short introduction. The chapter goes on to investigate what types of policy research and analysis methods and techniques are commonly used in public policy studies and research courses, with particular focus on the United States (U.S.). The chapter will then provide a review of the research and analysis techniques and methods applied in public policy studies in Turkey. For this purpose, a sample of articles, books and course content in the fields of public policy and public policy analysis are identified and analyzed. Then, the findings of the survey on research techniques and methods, and the content analysis of the articles, courses and textbooks are presented. The chapter concludes by presenting a summary of the findings and comparing and contrasting the types of methods and techniques used in public policy studies and courses in the U.S. and Turkey.