NEW SPECIAL ISSUE BLOG SERIES: Blog 7 – New pathways to major policy change: combining insights from policy design, mix and feedback

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Special issue blog series on Transformational Change through Public Policy.

SewinSebastian Sewerin, Benjamin Cashore, Michael Howlett

The study of major policy change is certainly nothing new in the Policy Sciences. Yet, it seems fair to say that the most prominent contributions to the theorisation of policy change have been more interested in policy change per se, rather than in its direction of travel. Take Peter Hall’s influential study of paradigm change in the UK: The shift in economic policy during the Thatcher government certainly deserves being labelled as paradigmatic but whether it was, from a point of social equality and justice, a ‘good’ change in the ‘right’ direction seems highly questionable. Continue reading →

NEW SPECIAL ISSUE BLOG SERIES: Blog 6 -The transformative potential of disasters

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Special issue blog series on Transformational Change through Public Policy.

Nya professorer 2021
Daniel Nohrstedt Professor vid Statsvetenskapliga institutionen, Forskare och lärare Foto Mikael Wallerstedt BILDEN ÄR FRIKÖPT AV UPPSALA UNIVERSITET

Daniel Nohrstedt
Disasters – such as major floods, storms, and wildfires – are often seen as windows of opportunity that enable major policy changes to reduce risks and enhance preparedness. Understanding whether and how disasters fulfill this role is important given the need for transformative action to increase community resilience to climate-related extremes. Against this background, my recent article in the new special issue on Transformational Change in Public Policy explores how public policy and administration scholarship view the relationship between disasters and major policy change. Continue reading →

Policy & Politics – Impact Factor

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P&P EdsTo all our authors, reviewers, readers, friends and supporters,

We’re delighted to announce that Policy & Politics has achieved a 2 year impact factor of 3.297, maintaining its position in the top quartile of Political Science journals (40th out of 187 journals) and 15th out of 49 journals in the Public Administration category.

In other citation metrics, Scopus’ Citescore has ranked P&P in the 90th percentile (18/190) of Public Administration journals and the Scimago rankings place P&P in the top quartile (21st out of 177 journals) in Public Administration. We are so grateful to all of you in our scholarly community for helping us achieve these excellent results. Thank you!

With best wishes,

Oscar, Claire, Elizabeth and Chris

P&P co-editors

The views and opinions expressed on this blog site are solely those of the original blog post authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Policy & Politics, the Policy Press and/or any/all contributors to this site.

NEW SPECIAL ISSUE BLOG SERIES: Blog 4 – How community activism democratically transformed public policy in Brazil

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Special issue blog series on Transformational Change through Public Policy.

Boullosa & PerezRosana Boullosa & Janaina Perez

People around the world seem eager for transformational change in our societies. But in which direction must these winds of change blow? This was perhaps the question that provoked us the most when we came across the call for articles for the themed issue on “Transformational Change through Public Policy”, proposed by the Policy & Politics editorial team. Our response has just been published in our article: The democratic transformation of public policy through community activism in Brazil.  Continue reading →

New Special Issue Blog Series : Blog 3 – Lessons from policy theories for the pursuit of equity in health, education and gender policy

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Special issue blog series on Transformational Change through Public Policy.

 

CairneyPaul Cairney, Emily St.Denny, Sean Kippin, Heather Mitchell

Could policy theories help to understand and facilitate the pursuit of equity (or reduction of unfair inequalities)? We are producing a series of literature reviews to help answer that question, beginning with the study of equity policy and policymaking in health, education, and gender research, which has just been published in Policy & Politics. Continue reading →

NEW SPECIAL ISSUE BLOG SERIES: Blog 2 – Citizens do matter for policy change

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Special issue blog series on Transformational Change through Public Policy.

Tosun Beland Papadopoulos

Jale Tosun, Daniel Béland and Yannis Papadopoulos

They come with names such as Save Bees and Farmers and End the Cage Age: European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECIs). This tool for giving European citizens an “opportunity to express their concerns in a very concrete way and to influence the European political and legislative agenda” has been viewed with skepticism by academics and the public. What impact could such a tool possibly have that at best can only formally induce the European Commission to issue a formal response? Continue reading →

NEW SPECIAL ISSUE BLOG SERIES: Introductory blog on our forthcoming special issue: Transformational Change through Public Policy.

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Special issue blog series on Transformational Change through Public Policy.

Eds2Guest edited by co-editors Oscar Berglund, Claire Dunlop, Elizabeth Koebele and Chris Weible

The 2020s are turbulent times, from COVID-19 to cost-of-living crises, violent and institutionalised racism, attacks on women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, and beyond – all against the backdrop of rapid climate change. Meanwhile, symbolic action and agenda denial are widespread responses whilst polarisation and authoritarianism increase. The impetus for this Policy & Politics 2022 special issue on “Transformational Change through Public Policy” (see below for table of contents) comes from a sense of unease about the lack of action on these challenges and the role public policy studies may play in addressing them. Continue reading →

The Democratic Qualities of Regulatory Agencies

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Libby MamanLibby Maman

Transparency, accountability, participation, and representation are concepts that are seen by many as positive and desirable attributes in the context of public organisations. Transparency means when a public organisation discloses information publicly, accountability means when it reports, answers, and justifies its actions to politicians or other state actors. Representation refers to the identity of the people working in the organisation, and participation means when public organisations consult with non-state actors in the rule-making process. Continue reading →

How does technological governance shape democracy?

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Am and MetzlerHeidrun Åm & Ingrid Metzler

In our recent article in Policy & Politics, we explore debates about “digital contact tracing apps” in Norway and Austria, i.e. apps developed to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic. We followed what we dubbed a ‘technology-centred comparison’: following the development of these apps throughout each stage as they were designed, launched, assessed, contested, stabilised, and redesigned. At each of these stages, we explored which actors shaped these developments and how. Continue reading →