TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing policy Process knowledge: A systematic review of three theoretical approaches that are applied to cases of policy change
AU - van der Heijden, Jeroen
AU - Kuhlmann, Johanna
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - This article seeks to understand how knowledge of the policy process, and especially of policy change, is generated. For three dominant approaches�punctuated equilibrium theory, incremental change theorizing, and institutional isomorphism theorizing�we ask where, by whom, and especially how these theoretical approaches have been applied in empirical studies. Answering these questions is relevant for synthesizing knowledge on policy change across such studies. For a stratified sample of 153 empirical articles, we find that the theories have mainly been applied for single-n or small-n studies at the national level, in western countries, and by scholars affiliated with western universities. We also find that the theoretical approaches are, generally, only partially and loosely operationalized. This limits the generic lessons we can draw from this body of empirical work.
AB - This article seeks to understand how knowledge of the policy process, and especially of policy change, is generated. For three dominant approaches�punctuated equilibrium theory, incremental change theorizing, and institutional isomorphism theorizing�we ask where, by whom, and especially how these theoretical approaches have been applied in empirical studies. Answering these questions is relevant for synthesizing knowledge on policy change across such studies. For a stratified sample of 153 empirical articles, we find that the theories have mainly been applied for single-n or small-n studies at the national level, in western countries, and by scholars affiliated with western universities. We also find that the theoretical approaches are, generally, only partially and loosely operationalized. This limits the generic lessons we can draw from this body of empirical work.
U2 - 10.1002/epa2.1035
DO - 10.1002/epa2.1035
M3 - Article
SN - 2380-6567
VL - 4
SP - 72
EP - 93
JO - European Policy Analysis
JF - European Policy Analysis
IS - 1
ER -