Public policy is often framed as a response to social problems rather than the cause of them. Carol Bacchi’s influential ‘What’s the Problem Represented to Be?’ (WPR) approach – first published in her 2009 book, Analysing Policy – addresses this contrast and has become an essential methodology for post-structural analysis of public policy.


This edited volume brings together leading international scholars to rethink, extend and reflect on the WPR approach in novel ways, demonstrating its applicability beyond policy documents and across diverse social science disciplines. It presents innovative perspectives on a radical methodology, making it a must-read for research methods scholars and critical policy analysts.


Engaging with multiple theories, concepts and purposes, this book provides cutting-edge insights and real-world applications that make it an essential tool for interrogating policy and power in practice.

Contributions by: Jian Wu, Carol Bacchi, Anne Wilson, John Boswell, Stephen Kelly, Pamela Ugwudike, Amelia Odida, Tomas Mitander, Andreas Öjehag Pettersson, Stephanie Paterson, Lindsay Larios, Lina Rahm, Jörgen Behrendtz, Hanne Dahl