Through public policies, governments have enormous potential to shape the lives of their citizens. Actions taken at any given time can affect both present conditions and future trajectories. Much is at stake when new public policies are forged or when established ones are reformed, and it behoves governments to learn from past experiences and avoid earlier errors as well as emulate past successes.

This book outlines numerous stories of iconic public policies that 'worked', that delivered public value, received broad political and public support, and have remained viable for decades.

The book offers in depth descriptions of the origins, design, and evolution of the policies under study, bringing to life the actors, ideas, interests, and interactions that gave birth to them and steered their implementation.