The Knowns and Unknowns of Policy Instrument Analysis: Policy Tools and the Current Research Agenda on Policy Mixes

Giliberto Capano and Michael Howlett

SAGE Open, 2020, vol. 10, issue 1, 2158244019900568

Abstract: Policies are made and pursue their goals through policy instruments. Furthermore, policy instruments have become a relevant topic in many policy fields due to their theoretical and empirical relevance. The study of this field dates back to Lowi and others who developed many typologies and theories in classic works by authors such as Hood, Salamon, Linder and Peters, Peters and van Nispen, Schneider and Ingram, Lascomes and Le Galès, among others. This is important work that is linked closely to current research on policy design but, despite much effort, many fundamental issues remain unknown or understudied with respect to the topic. It is time to take inventory of the knowns and unknowns about policy tools. The current article examines four clusters of basic issues in the field which require further research.

Keywords: public administration and public policy; political science; social sciences; government and representation; legal studies; comparative politics; public administration and nonprofit management; management; political behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (43)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:10:y:2020:i:1:p:2158244019900568

DOI: 10.1177/2158244019900568

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