Inaction and public policy
Understanding why policymakers ‘do nothing’
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10355293 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Allan Mcconnell (0000-0002-0755-9291, The University of Sydney, corresponding author), Paul ‘t Hart (0000-0003-1454-0932, Utrecht University) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 645-661 |
| Publication date | 2019-11-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Policy Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0032-2687 • E-ISSN: 1573-0891 |
| Publisher | Springer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11077-019-09362-2 |
| OpenAlex | W2985138089 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 86 |
| References cited | 83 |
In recent decades, the policy sciences have struggled to come to terms with the significance of inaction in public policy. Inaction refers to instances when policymakers ‘do nothing’ about societal issues. This article aims to put the study of inaction on a new footing. It presents a five-part typology of forms of inaction before focusing on detail on core drivers of inaction found at four policy-making loci: individuals (coping behaviour), public organisations (information pathologies), governments (agenda control and protection) and networks (non-coordination and lack of feasibility). Acknowledging the conceptual and methodological challenges of researching inaction, it concludes by identifying strategies for putting ‘doing nothing’ (back) on the research agenda of the policy sciences
Coping (psychology · Economics · Epistemology · Nothing · Policy Sciences · Political science · Positive economics · Public policy · Public relations · Sociology · Typology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Policy Transfer and Learning · Psychology · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research
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| Unique citing works | 86 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 14,33 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2026 (7) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 86 |