ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the promises and pitfalls of the new tools and assesses the degree to which their deployment and effectiveness can be understood using the kinds of typologies and concepts developed to deal with more traditional policy instruments. Policy tools are the subject of deliberation and activity at all stages of the policy-making process and affect both the agenda-setting and policy formulation processes as well as decision-making, policy implementation, and evaluation. The pattern of use of traditional substantive and procedural tools has been a mixed one, with a general tendency towards the use of less direct government interventions, a decided increase in the use of information-based tools, and a corresponding decrease in direct government instruments.
