Beyond Disciplinary Boundaries: The Political Economy Approach to Public Policy Analysis

Public policy plays an important role in shaping society, economy, and governance. In earlier times, public policy was mainly studied through political science, which focused on government, power, institutions, and decision-making. However, modern problems such as poverty, unemployment, inequality, environmental crisis, and globalization are complex and cannot be understood through one discipline alone. Economics provides tools to analyze cost, benefits, efficiency, and resource allocation. Political science explains power relations, democratic values, and institutional structures. This research paper studies how the integration of political science and economics improves public policy analysis. This research paper uses descriptive methodology based on secondary sources such as books and research articles. It explains how economic tools like cost-benefit analysis and welfare theory combine with political concepts like accountability and representation. The study finds that interdisciplinary policy analysis leads to better decision-making, improved policy outcomes, and balanced development. The research paper concludes that collaboration between political science and economics is necessary for effective governance in the modern world.