Understanding Policy Process: Is There A Single Best Way?

The stage heuristic has been treated as the sole best model to explain policy process. Is it really comprehensive enough to understand the multifaceted and complicated policymaking? This study argues that diffusion framework, the punctuated-equilibrium framework, and multiple streams framework are stronger theoretical and empirical basis than stage heuristic because of a number of reasons. They are consistent and clear particularly in understanding certain stages of policy process. They have causal relationships while stage heuristic lacks causal explanation. Stage heuristic describes the policy process in general and avoids explaining complex relationships among policy phases and policy actors. Nevertheless, the alternative frameworks provide more sophisticated, profound, and descriptive knowledge. They provide an appropriate basis to develop and test hypotheses as stage heuristic lacks real-world practicability. Accordingly, the three alternatives are preferable compared to the stage heuristic in explaining ceratin aspects of policy process, providing scientific theory, developing and revising concepts and theories, and apprehending multifaceted structure of public policy making.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Policy, Public Policy, Stage Heuristic Framework, Diffusion Models, Punctuated-Equilibrium

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