Policy Diffusion Dynamics in America

Policy Diffusion Dynamics in America explores why some policies spread more rapidly across states than others.

Graeme Boushey (Author)

9780521762816, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 1 November 2010

238 pages, 20 b/w illus. 4 maps 10 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.46 kg

“Combining theories of punctuated equilibrium and policy diffusion, Graeme Boushey creates a compelling new account of policymaking in American federalism. The nature of the policies themselves, their targets, and their advocates dictate the dynamics by which innovative policy spread across the states. Boushey’s focus on the speed and scope of diffusion will guide scholars of American and comparative politics, as well as those outside of political science.”
—Craig Volden, The Ohio State University

Policy Diffusion Dynamics in America integrates research from agenda setting and epidemiology to model factors that shape the speed and scope of public policy diffusion. Drawing on a data set of more than 130 policy innovations, the research demonstrates that the 'laboratories of democracy' metaphor for incremental policy evaluation and emulation is insufficient to capture the dynamic process of policy diffusion in America. A significant subset of innovations trigger outbreaks - the extremely rapid adoption of innovation across states. The book demonstrates how variation in the characteristics of policies, the political and institutional traits of states, and differences among interest group carriers interact to produce distinct patterns of policy diffusion.

1. Contagion in the laboratories of democracy
2. Incrementalism and policy outbreaks in the American states
3. Policy agents: innovation attributes and diffusion dynamics
4. Innovation hosts: state characteristics and diffusion dynamics
5. Policy vectors: interest groups and diffusion dynamics
6. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], Research methods: general [GPS]