State and Public Policy

In the era of globalisation, the state changes its nature according to global forces. The focus of the state is more on the regulatory and controlling functions. So, the nature of the state has to continuously undergo change. The welfare state, as an institution, guarantees social welfare and social justice to the deprived groups, but globalisation has not only threatened it but also made it weak. In the contemporary context, the social welfare agenda has been taken over by non-state organisations that need to be carefully critiqued. The older theories of state, which are either inadequate or inapplicable, today cannot cover the new developments that have taken place in the era of globalisation and therefore they have to be reviewed, specifically in the contemporary context. Globalisation has not only affected the state but also influenced the public policy to a great extent. It has challenged the nature of public policy by summoning a series of non-negotiable, external and largely economic imperatives that must be appeased in a technically proficient manner if good economic performance is to be maintained at the cost of democratic accountability. Globalisation necessitates a certain privatisation and technicisation of public policy, rendering it publicly less accountable. The public character of public policy is potentially seen as a casualty of globalisation. The neo-liberal economy has further compounded unevenness and inequality in society. In the light of these changes, we need to rethink these aspects of public policy.

The book deals with the contemporary debate on state and public policy and the changing dimensions of public policy. It brings out the contemporary perspectives on public policy and the challenges of the state in the new global era. The book is divided in four parts: State and Public Policy in the New Global Era; Governmental Policies and Experiences; Public Policy, Decentralisation and Development and Gender and Policy Intervention.