Books about Policymakers from Amazon.com

Completely revised throughout, the fourth edition of "US National Security" reflects the new strategic landscape as it has evolved in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The ongoing US military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, the focus on homeland security, the significant organizational changes in the intelligence bureaucracy, and the impact of the Bush Doctrine are among the current issues that inform the authors' clear presentation and appraisal of US security interests, politics, and processes..
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How can decisionmakers charged with protecting the environment and the public's health and safety steer clear of false and misleading scientific research? Is it possible to give scientists a stronger voice in regulatory processes without yielding too much control over policy, and how can this be harmonized with democratic values? These are just some of the many controversial and timely questions that Sheila Jasanoff asks in this study of the way science advisers shape federal policy.

In their expanding role as advisers, scientists have emerged as a formidable fifth branch of government. But even though the growing dependence of regulatory agencies on scientific and technical information has granted scientists a greater influence on public policy, opinions differ as to how those contributions should be balanced against other policy concerns. More important, who should define what counts as good science when all scientific claims incorporate social factors and are subject to negotiation?

Jasanoff begins by describing some significant failures--such as nitrites, Love Canal, and alar--in administrative and judicial decisionmaking that fed the demand for more peer review of regulatory science. In analyzing the nature of scientific claims and methods used in policy decisions, she draws comparisons with the promises and limitations of peer review in scientific organizations operating outside the regulatory context. The discussion of advisory mechanisms draws on the author's close scrutiny of two highly visible federal agencies--the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. Here we see the experts in action as they deliberate on critical issues such as clean air, pesticide regulation, and the safety of pharmaceuticals and food additives.

Jasanoff deftly merges legal and institutional analysis with social studies of science and presents a strong case for procedural reforms. In so doing, she articulates a social-construction model that is intended to buttress the effectiveness of the fifth branch.

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Whether as politician, journalist, or concerned citizen, those who make judgments about how government policies are likely to affect the performance of the economy need to understand how the economy works. Otherwise, they are left with half-remembered college courses and a collection of slogans, myths, and rules-of-thumb that are often wrong. In this new book, Charles Schultze employs an unusual format for explaining to busy policymakers and interested citizens how the US economy works. He imagines that an incoming President has decided to set aside time each week to learn about the economy and has asked his Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors to provide him with a series of memos devoted to that purpose. In these memos, Schultze seeks to explain the key economic relationships as a background for making macroeconomic policy judgments-relationships among domestic and foreign economic forces, and government policies and economic outcomes. The memos rely heavily on the use of real-world examples from recent economic events and policy debates. They focus principally on such policy-related issues as inflation, unemployment, long-term economic growth, and the flow of international trade and capital. The memos are divided into three sections: the first set lays the background, explaining why it is particularly important for policymakers to distinguish between those economic forces which affect total demand in the economy and those which affect total supply; the second addresses the problem of economic stability; and the third looks at long-term economic growth..
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"Handbook of Cancer Control and Behavioral Science" is an expert synthesis of what is known, what is suspected, and what is still unknown about core behavioral and sociocultural aspects of cancer control. Editors Suzanne Miller, Deborah Bowen, Robert Croyle, and Julia Rowland present a thought-provoking overview of the key areas of research, from primary prevention, to early cancer detection, to the clinical treatment of cancer, to survivor experience and bereavement, to future directions for research.Senior researchers provide jargon-free descriptions of current approaches while identifying the most effective behavioral interventions in use for preventing and treating cancer. Yet, the focus is not limited to cancer patients; the relationship between doctor and patient, and the effects of cancer on families are also examined. In its broad scope and detailed examination of the entire continuum of cancer incidence, the Handbook is an essential, cross-disciplinary resource that will be of great use for researchers, health care providers, and mental health professionals in the fight against cancer..
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Abandoned properties are a plague across the United States, from rust belt cities like Detroit and Buffalo to small towns like Lima, Ohio, and Waterloo, Iowa. Even in Sunbelt cities such as Houston and Las Vegas, abandonment is a major problem, as investment flows to the periphery, leaving the older, inner neighborhoods behind. In "Bringing Buildings Back", Alan Mallach provides policymakers and practitioners with the first in-depth guide to understanding and dealing with the many ramifications that this issue holds for the future of our older cities. Combining practical suggestions with a thoughtful exploration of policy, Mallach pulls together insights from law, economics, planning, and design to address all sides of the problem, from how abandonment can be prevented to how best to bring these properties back into productive reuse. Focusing on the need for sustainable reuse and revitalization of America's cities and neighborhoods, "Bringing Buildings Back" shows how finding solutions for individual buildings can and must be tied to the larger process of making our cities economically stronger and environmentally sounder places to live and work. The book is replete with examples of how cities, community development corporations, and others have come up with creative, effective solutions. Written by a distinguished urban planner and practitioner with three decades of experience, "Bringing Buildings Back" provides both a detailed toolkit and a call to rethink the way America carries out urban redevelopment. It is a book that should be on the desk of every mayor, city planner, community developer, or neighborhood activist, and used in every course on urban redevelopment or neighborhood revitalization..
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Conventional engineering solutions to problems of flooding and erosion are extremely destructive to natural environments. "Restoring Streams in Cities" presents viable alternatives to traditional practices that can be used both to repair existing ecological damage and to prevent such damage from happening.Ann L. Riley describes an interdisciplinary approach to stream management that does not attempt to "control" streams, but rather considers the stream as a feature in the urban environment. She presents a logical sequence of land-use planning, site design, and watershed restoration measures along with stream channel modifications and floodproofing strategies that can be used in place of destructive and expensive public works projects. She features examples of effective and environmentally sensitive bank stabilization and flood damage reduction projects, with information on both the planning processes and end results. Chapters provide: background needed to make intelligent choices, ask necessary questions, and hire the right professional help history of urban stream management and restoration information on federal programs, technical assistance and funding opportunities in-depth guidance on implementing projects: collecting watershed and stream channel data, installing revegetation projects, protecting buildings from overbank stream flowsProfusely illustrated and including more than 100 photos, "Restoring Streams in Cities" includes detailed information on all relevant components of stream restoration projects, from historical background to hands-on techniques. It represents the first comprehensive volume aimed at helping those involved with stream management in their community, anddescribes a wealth of options for the treatment of urban streams that will be useful to concerned citizens and professional engineers alike..
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