本书是美国著名的公共政策研究专家约翰·金登教授的享有盛誉的学术专著之一，也是该领域的权威教材之一。本书秉金登教授的一贯研究风格，借助其高超的调查和写作技巧，在政治学界独树一帜。他在本书中系统地分析了公共政策形成过程中的主要环节，即问题的提出、备选方案的产生和议程的建立等，并指出议程建立的重要性。本书对公共政策领域的教学、研究和实践都曾产生深刻的影响。金登教授因此书而获得1994年度的“艾伦·威尔达夫斯基奖”，借以表彰他对公共政策研究的持续贡献。

约翰·金登，美国著名的政策科学家和政治学家，曾任密西根大学政治学系教授，现任密西根大学名誉退休教授。

Preface to th First Edition
Preface to the Second Edition
CHAPTER 1 How Does An Idea's Time Come?
Concepts and Definitions,
A Brief Account of the Research,
The Lay of the Land
Some Explanations,
A BRIEF PREVIEW OF THE BOOK
CHAPTER 2 PARTICIPANTS ON THE INSIDE OF GOVERNMENT
THE ADMINISTRATION
BY CONSTRAST:CIVIL SERVANTS
CAPITOL HILL
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 3 OUTSIDE OF GOVERNMENT,BUT NOT JUST LOOKING IN
INTEREST GROUPS
ACADEMICS,RESEARCHERS,AND CONSULTANTS
THE MEDIA
ELECTION-RELATED PARTICIPANTS
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 4 PROCESSES:ORIGINS,RATIONALITY,INCREMENTALISM,AND GARBAGE CANS
ORIGINS
COMPREHENSIVE,RATIONAL DECISION MAKING,
INCREMENTALISM,
THE FEDERAL GOVENMENT AND GARBAGE CANS,
CHAPTER 5 PROBLEMS
INDICATORS
FOCUSING EVENTSS,CRISES,AND SYMBOLS
FEEDBACK,
WHY PROBLEMS FADE,
BUDGETS;A SPECIAL PROBLEM,
CONCLUSION,
CHAPTER 6 THE POLICY PRIMEVAL SOUP
POLICY COMMUNITIES
COMMUNITIES AND THE SOUP
CRITERIA FOR SURVIAL
THE SHORT LIST OF IDEAS
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 7 THE POLITICAL STREAM
……
CHAPTER 8 THE POLICY WINDOW,AND JOINING THE STREAMS
CHAPTER 9 WRAPPING THINGS UP
CHAPTER 10 SOME FURTHER REFLECTIONS
APPENDIX ON METHODS
INDEX