On Waves, Clusters, and Diffusion: A Conceptual Framework

Zachary Elkins and Beth Simmons
Additional contact information
Zachary Elkins: University of Illinois
Beth Simmons: Harvard University

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 2005, vol. 598, issue 1, 33-51

Abstract: This article makes a conceptual and theoretical contribution to the study of diffusion. The authors suggest that the concept of diffusion be reserved for processes (not outcomes) characterized by a certain uncoordinated interdependence. Theoretically, the authors identify the principal sources of clustered policy reforms. They then clarify the characteristics specific to diffusion mechanisms and introduce a categorization of such processes. In particular, they make a distinction between two types of diffusion: adaptation and learning . They argue that this categorization adds conceptual clarity and distinguishes mechanisms with distinct substantive consequences.

Keywords: diffusion; clustering; convergence; policy reform; adaptation; learning; contagion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0002716204272516 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:anname:v:598:y:2005:i:1:p:33-51

DOI: 10.1177/0002716204272516

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Bibliographic data for series maintained by SAGE Publications ().