ABSTRACT
This entry develops the relationship between the concept of policy sciences and their relevant stages—a common heuristic of the policy sciences. In concert, they offer a unique approach to problem solving. The first part of this entry develops the evolution of the underlying assumptions of the policy sciences while the second sets out an analytic framework of stages derived from the policy sciences as a means of viewing policy decisions. Finally, the third part offers observations about the challenges the policy sciences and the stages face in policy analysis. This entry explores the positivist tradition and postpositivist prescriptions for the policy sciences and argues that each perspective serves as a necessary resource, contingent upon a policy question's dictate.
