Policy & Politics Journal Blog

Policy diffusion, interpretive process tracing, causal mechanisms and multi-level governance shape assisted voluntary return policy, revealing how meaning-making, actor strategies and institutional dynamics drive policy transfer, adaptation and legitimacy.… Continue reading →

This new themed section on Interpretive Process Tracing (IPT) sets out the conceptual and methodological foundations for a growing strand of policy research, while also making a substantial standalone contribution to debates on causal mechanisms and process tracing. In doing so, it both frames the other research articles in the themed section and advances IPT as a coherent research approach in it…

We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Raúl Pacheco-Vega, a valued member of the Policy & Politics Editorial Board since 2021.… Continue reading →

This article examines how non-governmental organisations can achieve policy advisory success in settings where such influence would typically be considered unlikely. Although NGOs are often seen as disadvantaged within policy advisory systems, they are nevertheless able, in some cases, to play a substantive role in policy formulation.… Continue reading →

This article introduces the concept of policy fatalism, understood as the belief that governments are unable to address some of the most important problems facing society. It argues that this captures a distinct orientation towards public policy and examines how such views are expressed across different issue areas, how they vary across groups, and how they relate to political attitudes.… Continu…

This article examines how policy analysts can generate useful advice under conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and disagreement about both facts and values. It argues for a greater role for inferential and abductive reasoning in policy analysis.… Continue reading →

These articles demonstrate how collaborative governance, policy narratives, evidence use and policy design shape environmental policy, revealing how coordination, meaning, knowledge and calibration interact to influence policy targets, implementation pathways and outcomes.… Continue reading →

This article examines how public attitudes toward universal basic income form when clear partisan cues are absent. Drawing on cultural theory, the authors show how deeper value orientations shape how individuals interpret policy arguments about universal basic income.… Continue reading →

Public attitudes toward solar radiation management, geoengineering, cultural theory, and partisanship in US climate policy are at the centre of Not Yet Partisan: Cultural Theory Explains Attitudes about Solar Radiation Management in the US.… Continue reading →

From the co-editors of Policy & Politics  The editors of Policy & Politics invite proposals for a special issue that will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the nexus of public policy and politics. If you would like to guest edit a special issue for a top quartile… Continue reading →

Open government has become a prominent global policy agenda over the past decade, associated with ideals of transparency, accountability, and civic participation. Yet its rise has coincided with a period of democratic backsliding in many countries. This article asks why do governments commit to open government reforms?… Continue reading →

Collaborative governance in climate policy: a framework linking consensus-building and collective action between governments and enterprises. Field research and evolutionary game modelling explain patterns of productive, symbolic, and unproductive collaboration.… Continue reading →

This article examines how self-interest shapes coalition dynamics and policy change. Using the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), it introduces the concept of material beliefs to better explain how actors motivated by self-interest interact with those driven by broader societal goals.… Continue reading →

Policy & Politics announces the winners of the annual Early Career and Best Paper Prizes published in 2025 awarded for 'The democratising capacity of new municipalism: beyond direct democracy in public–common partnerships' and 'Comparing policy responses to incels in Sweden and the UK'.… Continue reading →

The editors of Policy & Politics journal offer top tips to scholars on how to choose the right journal for your article.… Continue reading →

Swiss lawmakers have debated pesticide regulation for nearly a decade, drawing on different types of evidence to support their positions. This study analyses how problem oriented and solution oriented evidence were used strategically in parliamentary discussions.… Continue reading →

This article explores the concept of calibration in policy design, highlighting how policymakers adjust the scope, intensity, and timing of policy interventions to match political, social, and administrative realities.… Continue reading →

This article investigates how policy narratives shape sustainability governance, by examining sustainability imaginaries and macrolevel narratives in urban transport policy through the lens of the Narrative Policy Framework… Continue reading →

The editors of Policy & Politics invite proposals for a special issue that will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the nexus of public policy and politics. Proposals submission deadline: 30 April 2026… Continue reading →

Policy evidence, implementation, institutional capacity and policy failure anchor three open access articles examining lived experience, governance centralisation, political short-termism, non-enactment and feedback dynamics limiting effective state action.… Continue reading →