Unpacking the multidimensional relationship between crisis and policy change: a systematic review

Giliberto Capano, Laura Mastroianni and Stefania Profeti

Policy and Society, 2026, vol. 45, issue 1, 14-32

Abstract: This article presents a systematic review of how the relationship between crisis and policy change is conceptualized, operationalized, and analyzed in public policy literature. We analyze five dimensions: crisis definitions, the causal mechanisms linking crises to change, the types and intensities of change, the political and ideological effects, and the modes of governing crises. The review reveals persistent conceptual ambiguity, limited attention to political dynamics, and a dominant focus on ideational mechanisms. Furthermore, by adopting a typology of the politics of governing crises as an analytical tool, the study also identifies recurring patterns across mechanisms, political strategies, and outputs. This theory-informed review offers a foundation for systematic, comparative research on crisis-driven policy change.

Keywords: crisis; policy change; political change; causal mechanisms; systematic literature review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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