In Constructing Policy Change, Linda A. White examines the expansion of early childhood education and care (ECEC) policies and programs in liberal welfare states, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA. In the first part of the book, the author investigates the sources of policy ideas that triggered ECEC changes in various national contexts. This is followed by a close analysis of cross-national variation in the implementation of ECEC policy in Canada and the USA. White argues that the primary mechanisms for policy change are grounded in policy investment logics as well as cultural logics: that is, shifts in public sentiments and government beliefs about the value of ECEC policies and programs are rooted in both evidence-based arguments and in principled beliefs about the policy. A rich, nuanced examination of the reasons motivating ECEC policy expansion and adoption in different countries, Constructing Policy Change is a corrective to the comparative welfare state literature that focuses on political interest alone.

Time to share the burden:toward Institution-Focused Intervention; An agenda of substance:grassroots efforts to reduce alcohol and tobaco problems; Making more pie: local initiatives that increase resources and institutional accountability; Plotting a course: lessons from the front lines; taking policy:media and the message; Looking ahead: reflections and recommendations.

The two dozen essays assembled in Creating Change examine some of the most bitterly contested and controversial public events and public policy battles in American history. These writings, each by a leading activist or scholar, recount how a specific constituency—gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons, and their allies—achieved tremendous progress despite seemingly insurmountable barriers. With each of the chapters written by an activist or scholar integral to the specific area of discussion, this is a work of scholarship and a work of passion about the way the American political and cultural landscape became what it is today. It is the story of how social change is made.

How does citizen activism win changes in national policy? Which factors help to make myriad efforts by diverse actors add up to reform? What is needed to overcome setbacks, and to consolidate the smaller victories? These questions need answers. Aid agencies have invested heavily in supporting civil society organizations as change agents in fledgling and established democracies alike. Evidence gathered by donors, NGOs and academics demonstrates how advocacy and campaigning can reconfigure power relations and transform governance structures at the local and global levels. In the rush to go global or stay local, however, the national policy sphere was recently neglected. Today, there is growing recognition of the key role of champions of change inside national governments, and the potential of their engagement with citizen activists outside. These advances demand a better understanding of how national and local actors can combine approaches to simultaneously work the levers of change, and how their successes relate to actors and institutions at the international level. This book brings together eight studies of successful cases of citizen activism for national policy changes in South Africa, Morocco, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Turkey, India and the Philippines. They detail the dynamics and strategies that have led to the introduction, change or effective implementation of policies responding to a range of rights deficits. Drawing on influential social science theory about how political and social change occurs, the book brings new empirical insights to bear on it, both challenging and enriching current understandings.

Praise for the First Edition: “There is a plethora of policy books on the market, but none illustrate the steps in the policy process better than this one. The high caliber editors and contributors, all of whom have been involved in policy work, bring years of experience to illustrate the key points...This outstanding resource will help motivate many more nurses to get involved in the policy process”...Score: 93 - 4 Stars! --Doody's Medical Reviews Written by distinguished nurse leaders with expertise in policy, practice, education, and research, this book is a practical “how-to” guide written to help advanced students and nurse leaders develop health policy competencies to advocate for patients from the bedside to the larger political arena. Co-published with the American Nurses Association, the book examines the pivotal role of nurses involved in health policy, making it an essential resource for nurses pursuing advanced education and desiring to enhance their expertise in making policy and facilitating its change. The book addresses recent changes impacting healthcare and many other topics including information on the increased need for primary care providers, how full practice authority has been implemented in different states, the need for an enhanced RN role in ambulatory care, and ongoing changes to the Affordable Care Act. This edition describes the distinct role of nurses impacting policies on the front lines of healthcare. Current issues with detailed examples of how nurses can exert influence at local, state, national, and global levels at each step of the policymaking process are presented. This second edition emphasizes collaboration within healthcare institutions, professional organizations, and government for the development of policies from bedside to boardroom. Using descriptive cases, the book delves into the growing role of nurses in elected and appointed office. The book clarifies the process of identifying issues that need a policy solution. A timely contribution focuses on evaluating policy sources, such as “Fake News.” It stresses how evidence must be used to strengthen policy initiatives. Woven throughout are essential themes basic to healthcare: ethics, leadership, safety, care access, and quality of care. New to the Second Edition: Revised chapters featuring inspirational, motivational, and practical stories representing different steps of the policy process A new chapter, “Valuing Global Realities for Health Policy,” emphasizing issues that unite nurses globally and the role of nurses as global citizens Expanded content on steps of policy analysis and evaluating evidence to support policy An appraisal and evaluation of converged media, including “Fake News” Guidance on working with the ongoing evolution of the Affordable Care Act An examination of health in all policies to improve community and population health Added focus on work environments as part of achieving the Quadruple Aim of healthcare The latest developments in advanced practice registered nurse regulation Key Features: Delineates the steps, strategies, and competencies needed for health policy advocacy in organizational, educational, and political settings Provides perspective relevant to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing doctor of nursing practice (DNP) Essentials Includes real world examples of policymaking on the frontlines of clinical practice Provides exemplars from high profile national and international nursing policy leaders Examines how nurses are leaders in a variety of policy arenas Illustrates policies to address social and economic inequities impacting health Describes how evidence is used to advance policy

Energy performance policy in the building sector - such as is described by EU Directive known as EPBD - has the aim of reducing energy consumption in buildings. This title contributes to knowledge about the content of energy performance policy and concludes that the effect of energy performance policy in encouraging innovation is limited.

Drawing on first hand interview data with experts and government officials, Olivia Gippner develops a new analytical framework to explore the vested interests and policy debates surrounding Chinese climate policy-making.