Leveraging pluralist epistemology to advance public policy studies at the university level

Purpose This paper investigates how universities could offer more integrative curricula to enhance the skills of students. While many have historically narrowed the study of public policy to a mixture of economics, ethics, and politics, this paper extends beyond these walls to advance the discipline towards higher knowledge and effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach A literature review with a theory-building approach was employed to identify public policy’s central perspectives of economics, ethics, and politics, juxtaposed with an investigation of more peripheral perspectives. These perspectives are synthesized, and tangible examples of how to pursue pluralism are provided. Findings While public policy has several common traits engrained in its literature and practice, the integration of additional perspectives, such as post-structural and psychoanalytic, can enhance disciplinary cognition and ultimately, spur virtuous policymaking. Referred to as ‘pluralist epistemology’, this approach is identified as a strategy that develops more innovative public service leaders. This type of critical thinking can be fundamental as institutions of higher education continue to seek dynamic ways to meet the evolving academic demands of the 21 st century. Originality/value This paper examines alternative viewpoints that can be useful for studying public policy and encourages policy schools and programs to pursue pluralist epistemology. It fills a gap by offering a structured suite of actionable approaches that operationalize pluralist epistemology in public policy education.