Employing total consumption as a household-level welfare indicator with which to measure poverty has often been criticised because it is felt that such an indicator does not account for differing access to, and cost of, publicly provided services. This paper discusses when and how adjustments can be made to expenditures derived from household surveys so as to reflect the consumption of basic se...

The contemporary state invades privacy in ways that affect even the end of life process. It develops public policies that can affect medical ethics. This limitation of power leaves the doctor's attention to the profession and may become a convenient code.

We propose a conceptual model to encourage systematic analysis of social equity issues of science policy. The model considers the relationships among several attributes of science and technology goods and services including the incidence of its impact, degree of concentration, and whether its consumption generates capacity for the individual or groups or is ‘‘hedonic,’’ that is, short term and ...

There are many reasons for the health inequities that we see around the world today. Public policy and the way society organises its affairs affects the economic, social and physical factors that influence the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age - the social determinants of health. Tackling health inequities is a political issue that requires leadership, political cour...

Public deliberation is an approach policy-makers can use to tackle public policy problems that require the consideration of both values and evidence. However, there is much uncertainty about why and when to choose it rather than more familiar approaches, such as public opinion polls or expert panels. With guidance on the why and when of public deliberation, policy-makers can use it appropriatel...

Devolution in Scotland has produced the potential for major changes to public policy and policymaking. New ‘policy communities’ have developed, reflecting the generally open and consultative approach of the Scottish Government and the increased willingness and ability of ‘pressure participants’ such as unions and interest groups to engage constructively in policymaking in Scotland. Such relatio...