For each approach, the author provides a strong practical example from the policy literature. He distinguishes between three distinct types of meaning--hermeneutic, discursive, and dialogical--each of which is rooted in different philosophical assumptions, underlies different approaches to interpretive analysis, and focuses on different topics in public policy.
The book dispassionately discusses the specific strengths and limitations of different interpretive approaches, and combines thorough theoretical discussions with a practical orientation towards doing policy analysis. It includes an extremely comprehensive bibliography.