Policy Diffusion
nadoshah
Week5PolicyDiffusion-F20.pptxPolicy Diffusion EPS 9610
September 29, 2020
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The National Landscape
Questions
Why is there variation in educational policies/practices across the 50 states?
To what extent has that variation increased/decreased in the last 20-30 years? Why?
Does policy diffusion lead to better practices/outcomes across entities (i.e., states & districts)?
1 federal government
50 states & DC
~13,600 school districts
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Innovation & Diffusion
Internal determinants – innovation when political, economic, & social environments are favorable
Regional diffusion – more likely to adopt after regional bell-weather states adopt
Interstate competition
Convenience and efficiency
Policy networks
An innovation is defined as a policy that is perceived as new to the unit (e.g., state) adopting it regardless of its age, whether it exists elsewhere, or how many other units have adopted it (Berry & Berry, 1990; Gray, 1973, 1994; Walker, 1969). New ideas diffuse, spreading from one unit to another.
Competition – economic competition as well as normative (don’t want to be left behind)
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Policy Learning
Learning
Mediated by ideology & prior beliefs
Political party
Weigh policy effects and political effects
Learning can be defined as a process whereby policy makers change their beliefs about the effects of policies (Dobbin, Simmons, and Garrett 2007, 460). When these beliefs are adapted by taking into account the experience of others, learning can be understood as a mechanism of diffusion, that is, an explanation of why and how policy choices in one country (or other relevant unit) are influenced by prior decisions in other countries (or other relevant units).
Not all policymakers learn “equally” and there are significant differences between “policy learning” and “politics learning”.
Therefore, recent theoretical work on learning suggests that ideological positions and prior beliefs on the effectiveness of policy alternatives limit the influence of new information and tie policy makers more or less firmly to their original policy stance.
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Learning Styles
Mutual – voluntary and can challenge one another
Competitive – highly “empirical” and geared towards demonstrating effectiveness
Surface – seek to reduce outside influences on state policy
Imperialistic – enhance national interests and expand influence
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In Practice
Examining the potential diffusion of “innovation”
Example of Early Childhood Education – MI Great Start Readiness Program
How does GSRP fit in with the push for increased access to early childhood education?
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Next Week
Critical Policy Analysis (via Zoom)
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