Different But Equally Plausible Narratives of Policy Transformation: A Plea for Theoretical Pluralism

Abstract

Theories of institutional change help us to understand policy transformation, and provide us with a framework for presenting transformation narratives retrospectively. By telling the transformation narrative of a single case through the lenses of three different institutional change theories this article highlights the potential shortcomings of a single lens, and the value of using complementary lenses. It argues for a pluralist approach to provide a richer understanding of policy transformation.

Keywords: Policy change, punctuated equilibrium, incremental change, historical institutionalism, punctuated equilibrium, layering, drift, conversion, displacement

JEL Classification: D7, D78