Policy Studies Journal Blog

Collective action can serve as a vehicle for advancing policy change. Studies show that, to this end, coalitions may form around shared beliefs to influence policies in line with their preferences. In interaction with competing coalitions, however, intergroup dynamics can lead to a demonization of opponents and a glorification of allies; phenomena that have been … Continue reading "Devil and Ange…

Most research on bureaucracy and Congress examines oversight of policy implementation. This article shifts focus to bureaucratic access to congressional agenda setting on global warming and climate change (GWCC) during the early-stage, pre-legislative period (1976-2007), when the issue was emerging and no major legislation had yet been drafted. Concepts and Hypotheses The authors conceptualize bu…

Migration continues to be a major area of policymaking globally. Decisions about how to best manage the economic and social impacts of more diverse populations represent important policy challenges for governments. This is particularly true for industrialized Asian countries like Japan which are turning to immigration as a way of addressing shrinking workforces due to … Continue reading "How Japa…

Social justice has been understood to be a critical value necessary for ensuring that designed policies and practices ensure fairness and equality to the communities being served. Researchers have attempted to study the role of social justice in shaping the decisions and structure of public policy yet faced challenges in measuring particular facets of the … Continue reading "Unveiling and Explain…

Researchers have traditionally studied target groups as homogenously constructed groups. Thereby, the groups of interest were assigned single social identities, such as, e.g., people in unemployment. However, it can be questioned whether a singular identity approach is appropriate for studying populations of interest, and in turn, designing effective policies. The authors in this article argue … …

How can researchers effectively capture shifts in policy over time? Traditionally, political scientists have relied upon conventional index measures to test the Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET)—the idea that policy is stable for a long period before erupting into brief moments of radical change (i.e., punctuation). However, traditional approaches to evaluating policy change have received a … C…

State policy development often involves replicating and adapting ideas from across state lines. Interstate compacts have served as a popular vehicle of policy innovation and diffusion as states join together to pool resources and collaborate on a common goal or issue. These dynamics have intrigued previous scholars to study the decision processes of states joining … Continue reading "Collaborativ…

Does the level of attention that politicians direct toward complex environmental problems impact how frontline bureaucrats in municipal settings form relationships? The collaborative interactions among civil servants are a defining feature of environmental governance, drastically shaping how issues are addressed. In this article, the authors incorporate political attention, or the priority status…

How are problem-gambling prevention policies actually implemented at the street-level? Although policies may appear clear on paper, frontline workers must constantly consider how to apply them in unpredictable, real-world settings. This article further explores these dynamics, specifically examining how policies related to problem gambling prevention were implemented in Turin, Italy, under the 20…

During a crisis, narratives matter as they allows us to make sense of an unpredictable situation and navigate urgency. The COVID-19 pandemic showed that the type of narratives and communication strategies used fundamentally shaped public opinion toward governmental efforts aimed at mitigating the virus. This article examines the role of narrative strategies utilized by France … Continue reading "…

Abortion rights remain a high-stakes issue in American politics, provoking a lot of moral debate and public reactions. Since the landmark ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson (2022), several states have added more restrictions on abortion access. Researchers have found that public opinion shapes state policies on abortion, but it is not clear how citizens judge … Continue reading "Indirect Restrictions Dem…

How does the itinerary of topics that the government chooses to focus on change over time at the local level? The everyday life of citizens has been directly impacted by decisions made at the local level, with the issues being spotlighted on the agenda reflecting local priorities. Scholarship has understudied the development of policy agendas … Continue reading "Agendas and Instability in America…

Consider these questions: How involved are women in the negotiation and implementation of peace agreements? Are the rights and well-being of women well-reflected in peace programs? The protection of women’s rights has been a cornerstone of recent discussions in post-war peacebuilding, as recent scholarship has begun to explore the extent to which women have a … Continue reading "Does the Implemen…

The role of algorithims in influencing and channeling the type of information that people have access to today is unprecedented. Algorithimic tools such as social media platforms, AI recommendations, and search engines perform an important role in organizing and selecting content that shapes discourse on policy matters. However, the growing dominance of algorithims has invited … Continue reading …

In Policy Paradox, Deborah Stone (1989) argues that the work of policy analysis is too often divorced from the politics of the democratic process. To truly understand policies and their effects, one must consider politics. Yet, many areas of policy research remain siloed including from understanding the politics of the process. We believe there is … Continue reading "Linking Policy Design and Dif…

Policy outcomes and concerns about social and racial equity have long been discussed in policy scholarship. A question that often arises is why disparities persist even though scholars and practitioners have increasingly paid attention to equity in policy design. In this article, I argue that policy design is not only a standalone process. The way … Continue reading "Centering Critical Race Theor…

How do countries strike a balance between keeping government budgets in check and providing strong social safety nets for their citizens? As the world becomes more interconnected and demands for services grow, governments must find a way to satisfy this. Scholars have overlooked the connections between government and citizens driving changes in policy design, especially … Continue reading "The Pl…

Public policies rarely rely on a single solution. Instead, they often combine multiple tools—like incentives and regulations—to tackle complex problems. The Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) is an effective way to explain how policies get on the agenda and are eventually adopted, but it usually looks at ideas in isolation. This article asks: Do policy ideas … Continue reading "Mixing and matching:…

Despite many citizens in the United States first experiencing welfare policies during adolescence, we have yet to uncover the extent to which welfare participation during this period affects political participation in adulthood. While scholars have long studied the political consequences of adult program participation, we know relatively little about adolescent program participation. What are the…