Comparative Transfer Analysis: Policy Instruments, Space and Time

Abstract

With the growth of globalization, comparative policy analysis became increasingly challenging. The contemporary transnational nature of public policymaking processes, which encompasses policies, fundings, individuals, and organizations crossing borders, with its instruments and ideas, extends the logic of territorially circumscribed phenomena. Understanding these movements lies at the core of the fast-growing field of analysis: policy transfer, diffusion, mobilities, and circulation. The purpose of this Special Issue is to broaden and deepen the debate on the transnational circulation of policy models from a comparative perspective. This Special Issue proposes a comparative strategy of analysis for policy transfer that considers three elements: policy instruments, policy transfer spaces, and time. These elements are presented in detail in this introduction, providing an innovative perspective, updating and expanding the classical policy transfer framework posited by Dolowitz and Marsh over two decades ago. This Special Issue brings together original research articles, prepared by diverse group of authors from different regions around the world (from both Global North and South).

Keywords:

• comparative policy analysis
• policy transfer
• policy diffusion
• policy instruments
• policy space

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Translated from the French “sociologie politique de l’action publique”, see also Hassenteufel (2014).

2. Kingdon’s proposal is broader than the exclusive analysis of time. The author theorized the multiple streams framework in order to explain the agenda-setting process. One of the features of this model is the idea of a “window of opportunity”.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Osmany Porto de Oliveira

Osmany Porto de Oliveira is Tenured Assistant Professor in the International Relations Department at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and coordinator of the International Public Policies Laboratory (Laboppi). He holds a PhD in Political Science, from the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris III (2015) and a PhD from the University of São Paulo (2013). His research centers on policy transfer, development cooperation, international organizations, democracy and climate change. He received the Early Career Award of the International Public Policy Association – IPPA (2019). His main books are: Brazil and China in Knowledge and Policy Transfer (Palgrave, 2022), with G. Romano; Handbook of Policy Transfer, Diffusion and Circulation (Edward Elgar, 2021); Latin America and Policy Diffusion (Routledge, 2020), with C. Osorio, S. Montero and C. Leite; and International Policy Diffusion and Participatory Budgeting (Palgrave, 2017). He is also Associate Editor of Policy Sciences and member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Policy and Politics.

Cecilia Osorio Gonnet

Cecilia Osorio Gonnet is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Government, Universidad de Chile. She holds a PhD in Political and Social Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain. Her areas of research and teaching are public policies, social policies, policy diffusion and knowledge, ideas and actors. Her main books are Latin America and Policy Diffusion (Routledge, 2020), with Porto de Oliveira et al., and Conditional Cash Transfer Programs in Ecuador and Chile. The Role of Policy Diffusion (Palgrave, 2020).