Why bad policies spread (and good ones don't) / Charles R. Shipan, Craig Volden.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shipan, Charles R., 1961- author.

Volden, Craig, author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in American politics, 2515-1606.

Cambridge elements. Elements in American politics, 2515-1606

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Policy sciences--United States.

Policy sciences.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (72 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Summary:

Building on a deep theoretical foundation and drawing on numerous examples, we examine how policies spread across the American states. We argue that for good policies to spread while bad policies are pushed aside, states must learn from one another. The three ingredients for this positive outcome are observable experiments, time to learn, and favorable incentives and expertise among policymakers. Although these ingredients are sometimes plentiful, we also note causes for concern, such as when policies are complex or incompatible with current practices, when policymakers give in to underlying political biases, or when political institutions lack the capacity for cultivating expertise. Under such conditions, states may rely on competition, imitation, and coercion, rather than learning, which can allow bad policies, rather than good ones, to spread. We conclude with lessons for reformers and policymakers and an assessment of our overall argument based on state responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contents:

Cover

Title page

Copyright page

Why Bad Policies Spread (and Good Ones Don't)

Contents

1 The Laboratories of Democracy

1.1 COVID-19 and the US States

1.2 Policymaking in the US Federal System

1.3 Policy Diffusion

1.4 Our Argument

2 The Promise: How Good Policies Can Spread (While Bad Ones Can Be Contained)

2.1 Learning How to Limit Youth Smoking

2.2 Brandeis's Optimism

2.3 Three Ingredients in the Recipe for Success

2.3.1 Observable Experiments

2.3.2 Time to Learn

2.3.3 Expertise and Incentives

2.4 Combining the Ingredients

2.5 Brandeis Was Right (At Least Some of the Time)

3 What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

3.1 Three Strikes against State Criminal Justice Policymaking

3.2 "Might Happen" Does Not Mean "Will Happen"

3.3 Some Policies Promote Learning More Than Others Do

3.3.1 Observability and Relative Advantage

3.3.2 Complexity and Incompatibility

3.3.3 Salience and Trialability

3.4 Biased Policymaking May Limit Learning

3.4.1 Short-Term Thinking

3.4.2 Pandering to Voters, Catering to Special Interests

3.4.3 Availability and Representativeness Biases

3.5 Political Institutions Can Undermine Learning

3.5.1 Insufficient Expertise to Learn

3.5.2 Not Enough Time or Money

3.5.3 Lacking Facilitators for Policy Learning

3.6 When States Don't Learn, Other Diffusion Processes Take Over

3.6.1 Competition: Racing to the Bottom and Other Ailments

3.6.2 Imitation: Flattery Will Get You Nowhere

3.6.3 Coercion: If It Is Such a Good Idea, Why Do States Need to Be Coerced into Action?

3.7 A Long List of Learning Limitations

4 Back to the Laboratory

4.1 What Have We Learned about Learning?

4.2 Lessons for All Actors across American Federalism

4.3 Lessons for National Policymakers

4.4 Lessons for State Policymakers.

4.5 Lessons for Policymaking Facilitators

4.6 The Laboratories of Democracy Meet a Global Pandemic

4.7 Final Thoughts

References

Acknowledgments.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 27 Sep 2021).

ISBN:

1-108-96284-X

1-108-96304-8

1-108-95612-2

OCLC:

1267552306