Assessing Policy Divergence

How to Investigate the Differences Between a Law and a Corresponding Regulation

Datos Bibliográficos

ID10392005
AutoresDavid P Carter (0000-0002-7636-7154, David Carter and Chris Weible are at the School of Public Affairs), Christopher M Weible (0000-0003-2241-5891, David Carter and Chris Weible are at the School of Public Affairs), Saba Siddiki (0000-0002-5363-2672, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis), Saba N Siddiki (Saba N. Siddiki and Sara Chonaiew are at the Indianapolis School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana USA), John Brett (John Brett is at the Department of Anthropology University of Colorado–Denver Denver Colorado USA), SARA MILLER CHONAIEW (Saba N. Siddiki and Sara Chonaiew are at the Indianapolis School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana USA)
Año2014
Volumen93
Número1
Páginas159-176
Fecha de publicación2014-09-07
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPublic Administration (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0033-3298 • E-ISSN: 1467-9299
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/padm.12120
OpenAlexW2133194887
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas16
Referencias citadas35

Policy designs are selected to achieve specific policy outcomes. The policy process, however, contains multiple junctures when a policy's design may diverge from its original intents. Despite this fact, few theoretically valid and methodologically reliable approaches exist to assess policy divergence as it occurs during the policy process. This article presents a method for assessing policy divergence during implementation with a comparative analysis of a legislative law and corresponding regulation. The case analysed is US organic food policy in the 1990 Organic Foods Production Act and 2002 National Organic Program regulation. The article draws theoretical leverage from Mazmanian and Sabatier's implementation framework and methodological leverage from the institutional analysis and development framework. The analysis indicates that the designs of both policies are fairly robust with relatively minor divergence. The conclusion discusses the gains and challenges in developing a comparative approach to studying policy designs and assessing policy divergence

Divergence (linguistics · Economics · Legislature · Leverage (statistics · Policy analysis · Political science · Process (computing · Public economics · Agricultural Economics and Policy · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact · Law · Organic Food and Agriculture · Public Administration