Who Explains What, When, and How? A Critical Analysis of Policy Process Frameworks

Policy process analyses come in all shapes and sizes. Some are more specific and seek to answer bounded questions about why certain issues enter the agenda or how programs are implemented at the street level. Others aim to provide overarching theories of the entire policy process, emphasizing how networks of actors interact across different stages of the policy cycle. Some are designed for in-depth case studies, while others promote extensive comparative analyses. Some analyses are short-term, whereas others rely on long time horizons, sometimes decades, to generate valid findings.