Foundations of Public Policy

Foundations of Public Policy: Theory, Process, and Practice from the Global South offers students and practitioners a new way of thinking about policy that is both globally informed and locally grounded. Drawing on cases such as doorstep food delivery program, community-driven welfare models, and digital governance experiments, the book shows how theory can illuminate practice, and how practice can reshape theory. Unlike most textbooks that rely on Global North examples, this book centres the Global South as a site of theory-building. It introduces students to the ontological and epistemological foundations of policy, then moves through its grammar, types, actors, and implementation before presenting policy frameworks from both the global north and south with case studies from the global south, which captures the complex and iterative nature of decision-making in our governance ecosystem. Each chapter blends conceptual clarity with pedagogy. Reflective prompts and learning competencies guide readers to connect policy science with lived governance case studies discussed in each chapter. By the final chapter, readers are equipped to critically analyse emerging challenges such as digitalisation, citizen participation, and algorithmic policy.

This is more than a theoretical text: it is a handbook for public policy learners in the Global South and a comparative resource for Global North readers seeking to understand policymaking beyond Western assumptions.