The value of poll-worker voice in the delivery of elections

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by Toby S. James and Alistair Clark

Two portraits of men speaking, the author's of the article

In their recent article published in Policy & Politics, Toby S. James and Alistair Clark explore how the perspectives of poll workers can inform and improve election delivery. They argue that these frontline workers—often marginalised in both research and practice—hold crucial knowledge about the functioning and fairness of democratic processes. Drawing on Carole Pateman’s theory of workplace democracy, they propose a model that listens to, and learns from, the people who help run elections on the ground.

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Measuring the democratic qualities of regulatory bodies: new tools for theory and comparison

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by Libby Maman, Jacint Jordana, David Levi-Faur, Edoardo Guaschino, Rahel Schomaker, and Esther Van-Zimmeren

6 portrait photos of 3 men and 3 women (the authors of the article)

Building on her previous research published here in Policy & Politics, Libby Maman, with coauthors Jacint Jordana, David Levi-Faur, Edoardo Guaschino, Rahel Schomaker and Esther Van-Zimmeren offer the first validated, comparative tool for analysing how regulatory agencies balance transparency, accountability, participation and inclusiveness — both in law (de jure) and in practice (de facto).

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How do policy and design intersect? Three relationships

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by Liz Richardson, Catherine Durose, Lucy Kimbell and Ramia Mazé

In a recent article published in Policy & Politics, Liz Richardson, Catherine Durose, Lucy Kimbell and Ramia Mazé explore how the fields of policy and design relate to one another — and why the common framing of ‘design for policy’ may be too narrow to capture the full range of interactions between the two. While design has become an increasingly visible feature of policymaking practice in recent years, the authors argue that existing accounts tend to list design methods (such as prototyping or visualisation) without fully exploring the purpose and politics behind their use.

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A theory of policy advisory system quality: Hirschman 2.0 or what makes for good policy advice?

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by Andrea Migone and Michael Howlett

two portraits of men with glasses, the authors of the article

In a recent article published in Policy & Politics, authors Andrea Migone and Michael Howlett offer a compelling new framework for understanding the quality of policy advisory systems. Their framework draws on Albert Hirschman’s Exit, Voice, and Loyalty (EVL) model, which suggests three ways individuals respond to perceived decline or dissatisfaction within an organisation/relationship: (i) exit by withdrawing from the situation, (ii) voice by expressing concerns and seeking improvement, and (iii) loyalty by remaining in the situation and hoping for improvement. Building on this model, the authors propose a more dynamic approach to assessing how advisory systems function — and why some produce better advice than others.

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Policy & Politics Highlights collection on Collaborative Governance: free to access from 31 July – 31 October 2025

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by Sarah Brown and Allegra Fullerton

Two women, the authors of this blog.

This quarter’s Policy & Politics highlights collection brings together three of our most popular articles recently published, that extend and deepen our theoretical and empirical understanding of collaborative governance. Each article advances our knowledge by engaging critically with key debates in the field, whether through conceptual synthesis, empirical exploration, or theoretical refinement. Together, they contribute to our understanding of the complexities and contingencies of collaboration in contemporary governance settings.

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Between win–win and the manufacturing of consent: collaborative governance in cannabis policy

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by Christopher K. Ansell, Kevin Orr and Philipp Trein

3 portrait photos of 3 men, authors of the article

In their recent article, Between win–win and the manufacturing of consent: collaborative governance as a lightning rod in cannabis policy, authors Christopher Ansell, Kevin Orr and Philipp Trein explore how power operates in collaborative governance processes by analysing the case of cannabis policy in the San Francisco Bay Area. Drawing on interviews, field observations and document analysis, the authors examine how collaborative arenas shaped policy implementation following California’s legalisation of recreational cannabis in 2018. They argue that, while collaboration was formally inclusive and participatory, the dynamics of power often led not to a balanced, negotiated consensus, but to the emergence of a dominant agenda advanced by activist policy entrepreneurs.

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How do populist discourses influence policy termination?

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by Vandna Bhatia

Photograph of female academic Vandna Bhatia

In her recent article, How do populist discourses influence policy termination?, author Vandna Bhatia explores the relationship between populist political discourse and policy termination. Through a lens of ideational politics, the article offers a rare and timely contribution to the underdeveloped field of policy termination. Drawing on two high-profile cases from Ontario, Canada—the termination of the province’s carbon cap-and-trade programme and the repeal of its sexual health education curriculum—Bhatia shows how populist leaders use discourse to construct compelling narratives, mobilise coalitions, and legitimise disruptive strategies for dismantling existing policies.

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A systematic review of conflict within collaborative governance

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by Jacob Torfing et al.

In a recent article published in Policy & Politics, entitled A systematic review of conflict within collaborative governance, authors Jacob Torfing, Reza Payandeh, Seyed Mostafa Jalili and Masoud Banafi provide a comprehensive overview of how conflict emerges and is managed within collaborative governance processes. Their systematic review draws on 62 peer-reviewed studies with the aim of identifying where, when, and how disagreements surface in collaborative governance initiatives—and what strategies are employed to deal with them.

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Updating your course reading lists? Check out our essential reading recommendations for Public Policy and Politics courses on emotions in public policy, the politics of environmental policy, and governance networks

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by Sarah Brown and Allegra H. Fullerton

As you plan reading lists for the coming academic year, this collection of recent articles offers fresh insights for units on emotions in public policy, the politics of environmental policy, and governance networks. Each article draws on cutting-edge empirical research combined with conceptual innovation, making them ideal for both undergraduate and postgraduate modules exploring the politics of policymaking.

We hope these suggestions save you time and effort in mining recent articles while ensuring your course materials reflect the latest research from the frontiers of the discipline.

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Towards a new policy analytical methodology in the study of vaccination governance

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by Katharina Paul

In a recent article published in Policy & Politics, author Katharina T. Paul argues for a shift in how we analyse public health controversies by introducing a new methodology—policy valuography—that explores how different social actors assign value to vaccination. The article, entitled Towards a new policy analytical methodology in the study of vaccination governance, moves beyond familiar binary framings of vaccine hesitancy and proposes a deeper investigation of the “valuation practices” that shape vaccination governance.

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