Semiotic Analysis and Public Policy: Connecting Theory and Practice (Routledge Studies in Governance and Public Policy)

Semiotic Analysis and Public Policy evaluates several key areas of public policy that are dependent on narrative, naming, sign, and branding to create meaning. Semiotic analysis, drawing on the work of Saussure, Peirce, and others, allows for creation of a case-oriented model of brand versus product, and of medium compared with message. Using a critical Habermasian lens, Atkinson convincingly exposes approaches focusing too heavily on instrumentality and rhetoric that claims a resolution of complex societal dilemmas. Rooted in the literature on public policy and semiotics, Atkinson creates an opportunity to delve more fully into the creation of narratives and meaning in policy, and the origins and maintenance of public programs. Evaluation of such programs shows various levels of disconnect between popular understanding of public considerations, political outcomes, and what results from the administrative/regulatory process in support of the law. This book will be of interest for scholars and researchers of public policy, policy analysis, public administration, public management, and policy implementation. Preface: The Words Fail Us 1. Introduction 2. Semiotic Analysis and Public Policy: Theory and Practice 3. On Filth: Food Regulation, Enforcement, and Cheese 4. A Semiotic Analysis of Green Public Procurement 5. New York City’s Conflicts of Interest Law: Compliance versus Ethical Capacity 6. Symbol and Substance in Local Government Workforce Development: 'First Source' Hiring Programs 7. By Soil, Blood, and Administration: A Narrative Analysis of German Immigration Law 8. Reforming the Affordable Care Act: A Semiotic Analysis of Tweets using LIWC 9. Economic and Energy Development and the Goal of Sustainability in Thailand: An Argumentation Analysis 10. Bridging the Gap between Intent and Practice Rooted deep in the literature on both public policy and semiotics, Christopher L. Atkinson evaluates several key areas of public policy that are heavily dependent on narrative, naming, sign, and branding to create meaning.