Handbook of Policy Learning

This Handbook provides an in-depth examination of contemporary scholarship on learning in the field of public policy. Expert authors investigate the key methods, timings and outcomes of policy learning, as well as their far-reaching consequences for public administration, democracy and change.

Contributing authors analyse the central role of learning in addressing existential and transformative challenges while also highlighting the risks of drawing incorrect conclusions or learning for the wrong purposes. The Handbook examines cutting-edge topics in both democratic and authoritarian systems, including emotions and narrative learning. Chapters showcase a diverse range of learning theories and mechanisms across scholarship, practice and teaching, paving the way for future research to become more explicit about its subjects, objects, contexts and outcomes.

Outlining the multifaceted nature of learning and its impact on both public policy and broader society, the Handbook of Policy Learning is a valuable resource for scholars and students of political science, public administration, governance, sociology, anthropology and economics.