Public policy and politics are undergoing significant changes at both central and local levels. Financial pressures, the need to maintain public services, new concerns like employment and economic development, and increased partisanship in local politics are creating new challenges but also opportunities. This series provides up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative analyses of public policy and politics in practice. Public policy involves the state's mediation of social and economic forces, determined by political action through conflict or consensus, leading to specific responses by government, non-governmental, and private agencies, and the public. Two key themes are emphasized: linking policy substance to the politics of the policymaking process and bridging theory and practice. The series captures the dynamics of public policy-making and aims to enhance understanding by placing discussions within different theoretical perspectives. Interdisciplinary approaches are strongly emphasized due to the complexity of the processes and issues involved. The series covers governmental activity, central-local relations, public-sector-private-sector relations, and the role of non-governmental agencies. Comparisons with other advanced societies are integral to appropriate volumes. The books are designed to be readable and usable, aiming to be of value to students, practitioners, and academics interested in public policy and politics. The book "The Tools of Government" by Christopher C. Hood explores government as a tool-kit, focusing on how government uses various tools to act upon the world and gather information. It discusses different types of tools, their applications, and the implications of using them. The book also addresses the changing mix of government tools over time and the need for careful appraisal of these tools. The author acknowledges the support of colleagues, the publisher, and his wife for the book's completion. The book is structured to be accessible to general readers and students, using a one-eyed approach to government as a set of basic tools or instruments.Public policy and politics are undergoing significant changes at both central and local levels. Financial pressures, the need to maintain public services, new concerns like employment and economic development, and increased partisanship in local politics are creating new challenges but also opportunities. This series provides up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative analyses of public policy and politics in practice. Public policy involves the state's mediation of social and economic forces, determined by political action through conflict or consensus, leading to specific responses by government, non-governmental, and private agencies, and the public. Two key themes are emphasized: linking policy substance to the politics of the policymaking process and bridging theory and practice. The series captures the dynamics of public policy-making and aims to enhance understanding by placing discussions within different theoretical perspectives. Interdisciplinary approaches are strongly emphasized due to the complexity of the processes and issues involved. The series covers governmental activity, central-local relations, public-sector-private-sector relations, and the role of non-governmental agencies. Comparisons with other advanced societies are integral to appropriate volumes. The books are designed to be readable and usable, aiming to be of value to students, practitioners, and academics interested in public policy and politics. The book "The Tools of Government" by Christopher C. Hood explores government as a tool-kit, focusing on how government uses various tools to act upon the world and gather information. It discusses different types of tools, their applications, and the implications of using them. The book also addresses the changing mix of government tools over time and the need for careful appraisal of these tools. The author acknowledges the support of colleagues, the publisher, and his wife for the book's completion. The book is structured to be accessible to general readers and students, using a one-eyed approach to government as a set of basic tools or instruments.