---
title: Policy Analysis
description: Policy analysis is the systematic evaluation of public policy options and outcomes. Learners will understand how to use quantitative and qualitative methods to assess societal problems, formulate viable policy solutions, and predict their real-world impacts.
category: social-sciences
subcategory: public-policy-and-administration
difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced
url: /subject/policy-analysis
---

# Policy Analysis

Policy analysis is the systematic evaluation of public policy options and outcomes. Learners will understand how to use quantitative and qualitative methods to assess societal problems, formulate viable policy solutions, and predict their real-world impacts.

## Available Resources

2 Books • 2 Websites

## Websites

### 1. PolicyViz

Jon Schwabish's blog and podcast on presenting data and research to policymakers, with posts on chart selection, accessible design, and data storytelling. Readers learn to turn policy analysis results into clear visualizations and reports that decision-makers can use.

**Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://policyviz.com/

**Tags:** data-visualization, policy-communication, data-storytelling, chart-design, public-policy

### 2. bardach.org

Official site for Eugene Bardach’s policy analysis framework, outlining the Eightfold Path for practical, step-by-step analysis. It offers an overview of the method, book content, teaching resources, and example analyses for students and practitioners.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://bardach.org

**Tags:** websites, humanities-social-sciences, public-policy-administration

## Books

### 1. A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis

**Author:** Eugene Bardach

Eugene Bardach's handbook for policy analysts, built around the Eightfold Path: define the problem, assemble evidence, construct alternatives, select criteria, project outcomes, confront trade-offs, decide, and tell the story. Readers learn to structure and write a concise, decision-ready policy analysis.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid

**Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872899527?tag=edmonddante07-20

**Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, public-policy-administration

### 2. Policy Analysis: Concepts

**Author:** David L. Weimer, Aidan R. Vining

Standard graduate textbook on public policy analysis grounded in welfare economics: market and government failures, generic policy alternatives, cost-benefit analysis and client-oriented problem framing. Readers learn to structure a policy problem, compare alternatives against explicit goals and write a usable analysis.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid

**Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0131090836?tag=edmonddante07-20

**Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, public-policy-administration

---

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