The cornerstones of public policy analysis have become increasingly problematic, as processes of globalization have disrupted the traditional analytical and conceptual frameworks through which policy making and implementation have been understood. The reorientation of the state, the growing variety of terrains and actors involved, and the transition from government to governance are all aspects of an ever more complex environment, the implications of which need to be captured within contemporary analysis. This important collection locates general debates in public policy analysis within specific policy contexts, and in doing so, illuminates the interdependencies, complexities, diversity and contradictions evident in the contemporary policy making arena.