Theory

[Note: this page is a few years out of date. The more up to date list is on my CV page]

This section gathers together my published academic work (books and journal articles) with blog posts on policy theory and/ or the links between policy theory in practice. By the time I started publishing most of these articles, I had started thinking more about blogging, so there are posts and articles bunched together. If you click on the book cover, it takes you to the Palgrave site with the sample/ introductory chapter. You can also ‘look inside’ for some of the book and get a sample green chapter (punctuated equilibrium). So, you click the sample green link, click on another link, I click on a link and then you get permission to view a Word version of one chapter. The only sillier idea is to listen to a bit of it as read by a computer simulation of Hilary Clinton.

The book focuses on a wide range of theories of public policy and policymaking (and it underpins my new book on the UK). It connects to a series of articles and posts on policy theory, outcomes and practice. Here is a themed set of publications/ posts (marked with underlined titles), with links to the separate Paywall and Green Access versions (it’s worth clicking on Paywall first – sometimes they are free):

Making Sense Of and Applying Policy Theories:

Paul Cairney (2013) ‘Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: How Do We Combine the Insights of Multiple Theories in Public Policy Studies?’ Policy Studies Journal, 41, 1, 1-21 Paywall Green PDF

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants?

Policy Concepts in 1000 Words: Combining Theories

Paul Cairney and Tanya Heikkila (2014) ‘A Comparison of Theories of the Policy Process’ in (eds) P. Sabatier and C. Weible Theories of the Policy Process, Third Edition 2014 (Chicago: Westview Press) PDF

Paul Cairney and Michael Jones (2016) ‘Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Approach: What Is the Empirical Impact of this Universal Theory?’ Policy Studies Journal, 44, 1, 37-58  PDF (Annex to Cairney Jones 2016) (special issue of PSJ)

Paul Cairney (2007) ‘A Multiple Lens Approach to Policy Change: the Case of Tobacco Policy in the UK’, British Politics, 2, 1, 45-68  PDF Paywall Green

Complexity and Evolutionary Theory

Paul Cairney (2013) ‘What is Evolutionary Theory and How Does it Inform Policy Studies?’ Policy and Politics, 41, 2, 279-98 PDF Paywall Green

What is ‘Evolution’? What is ‘Complexity’? [and How does it inform the study of policymaking?]

Paul Cairney (2012) ‘Complexity Theory in Political Science and Public Policy’, Political Studies Review, 10, 346-58 Paywall Green

Paul Cairney (2015) ‘What is complex government and what can we do about it?’ Public Money and Management, 35, 1, 3-6 PDF

Complexity Theory and Policymaking

Complexity Theory in Thought and Practice

Policy Theories for Turbulent Times: Comparing Old and New

Using Policy Theory to Explain UK and Devolved Policymaking Styles and the Limits to Policy Change

Grant Jordan and Paul Cairney (2013) ‘What is the ‘Dominant Model’ of British Policy Making?  Comparing Majoritarian and Policy Community Ideas’, British Politics Paywall Green

Paul Cairney (2012) ‘Public administration in an age of austerity’: Positive lessons from policy studies’, Public Policy and Administration, 27, 3, 230-47 Paywall Green

Paul Cairney (2011) ‘The New British Policy Style: From a British to a Scottish Political Tradition?’, Political Studies Review, 9, 2, 208-20 PDF Paywall Green

Paul Cairney (2009) “The ‘British Policy Style’ and Mental Health: Beyond the Headlines”, Journal of Social Policy, 38, 4, 1-18 PDF Paywall Green

Paul Cairney (2008) ‘Has Devolution Changed the British Policy Style?, British Politics, 3, 3, 350-72 PDF Paywall Green

Paul Cairney (2002) “New Public Management and the Thatcher Health Care Legacy”, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 4, 3, 375-98 PDF Paywall

Defining policy shows how messed up it seems

Policy Concepts in 1000 Words: Policy change and measurement

Making Sense of Policymaking: why it’s always someone else’s fault and nothing ever changes

The Unintended Consequences of Thatcherite Policies

Thatcherism and the Idea of Policy Imposition

A path dependent run around the lake

New Post is an old post

The Study of Policy Implementation and Related Terms (such as governance)

Per Nilsen, Christian Ståhl, Kerstin Roback and Paul Cairney (2013) ‘Never the twain shall meet? – a comparison of implementation science and policy implementation research’, Implementation Science 8: 63 Open Access

Paul Cairney (2009) ‘Implementation and the Governance Problem:  A Pressure Participant Perspective’, Public Policy and Administration, 24, 4, 355-77 PDF Paywall Green

Policy Concepts in 1000 Words: The Policy Cycle and its Stages

Policy Concepts in 1000 Words: Success and Failure (Evaluation)

The Role and Transfer of Ideas

Steve Kettell and Paul Cairney (2010) ‘Taking the Power of Ideas Seriously: The Case of the 2008 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill’, Policy Studies, 31, 3, 301-17 PDF Paywall Green

Paul Cairney (2009) ‘The Role of Ideas in Policy Transfer: The Case of UK Smoking Bans since Devolution’, Journal of European Public Policy, 16, 3, 471-488 PDF  Paywall Green

Policy Concepts in 1000 Words: Power and Ideas

And Finally

When I write about Scottish politics, I tend to focus on policymaking and a comparison of policy areas. I also tend to write about UK policy and policymaking because the UK is still the main comparator for Scottish analysis. I also tend to use the same sort of policy theory. So, there are many publications on Scottish-UK comparisons of policy and policymaking here.

Related articles

• Evidence matters when policymakers accept it and have the motive and opportunity to act on it (blogs.lse.ac.uk)
• Policy and Policymaking in the UK – chapter 1 draft 1 (paulcairney.wordpress.com)