Set against the backdrop of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this book examines the impact on public policy from broader political decisions taken in relation to Olympic- and Paralympic-related policy. It considers the major political justifications for hosting these global sports events, evidence for their expected impacts, and topical issues including environmental protection and sustainability, the use of technology, and political protest. The book will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in sport policy and politics, and how broader political decisions come to impact on the development of Olympic and Paralympic sport. This book was published as a special issue of the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics.

• Who makes sport policy and why do we need it?
• What is the purpose of sport development programmes?

Sport Policy and Development answers these questions and more by closely examining the complex relationships between modern sport, sport policy and development and other aspects of the wider society. These important issues are explored via detailed case studies of key aspects of sport policy and sport development activity, including:

• school sport and physical education
• social inclusion
• health
• elite sport
• sporting mega-events.

Each case study demonstrates the ways in which the sport policy and development fields have changed, and are continually changing in response to the increasing political, social and cultural significance of sport. The book helps the reader to understand the complexities of the sport policy-making process, the increasing intervention of government in the sport policy and development fields, and how the short-term, ever-changing and frequently contradictory political priorities of government come to impact on the practice of sport policy and development.

Accessible and engaging, this textbook is an invaluable introduction to sport policy and sport development for students, practitioners and policy-makers alike.

Set against the backdrop of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this book examines the impact on public policy from broader political decisions taken in relation to Olympic- and Paralympic-related policy. It considers the major political justifications for hosting these global sports events, evidence for their expected impacts, and topical issues including environmental protection and sustainability, the use of technology, and political protest. The book will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in sport policy and politics, and how broader political decisions come to impact on the development of Olympic and Paralympic sport. This book was published as a special issue of the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics.

Who makes sport policy and why do we need it? What is the purpose of sport development programmes? Sport Policy and Development answers these questions and more by closely examining the complex relationships between modern sport, sport policy and development and other aspects of the wider society. These important issues are explored via detailed case studies of key aspects of sport policy and sport development activity, including: school sport and physical education social inclusion health elite sport sporting mega-events. Each case study demonstrates the ways in which the sport policy and development fields have changed, and are continually changing in response to the increasing political, social and cultural significance of sport. The book helps the reader to understand the complexities of the sport policy-making process, the increasing intervention of government in the sport policy and development fields, and how the short-term, ever-changing and frequently contradictory political priorities of government come to impact on the practice of sport policy and development. Accessible and engaging, this textbook is an invaluable introduction to sport policy and sport development for students, practitioners and policy-makers alike.