The gap between the policy analysis developed by policy actors and the existing academic knowledge on public policies has been identified in previous chapters as being central in France. This chapter aims at exploring and providing some explanation of this division. As with the rest of this book it relies upon the distinction between, on the one hand,policy analysis, defined as ‘applied social and scientific research – but also involving more implicit forms of practical knowledge – pursued by government officials and non-governmental organisations which usually focus on designing, implementing and evaluating existing policies, programmes and other courses of...