Learning from Abroad: The Role of Policy Transfer in Contemporary Policy‐Making
Abstract
In recent years there has been a growing body of literature within political science and international studies that directly and indirectly uses, discusses and analyzes the processes involved in lesson‐drawing, policy convergence, policy diffusion and policy transfer. While the terminology and focus often vary, all of these studies are concerned with a similar process in which knowledge about policies, administrative arrangements, institutions and ideas in one political setting (past or present) is used in the development of policies, administrative arrangements, institutions and ideas in another political setting. Given that this is a growing phenomenon, it is something that anyone studying public policy needs to consider. As such, this article is divided into four major sections. The first section briefly considers the extent of, and reasons for, the growth of policy transfer. The second section then outlines a framework for the analysis of transfer. From here a third section presents a continuum for distinguishing between different types of policy transfer. Finally, the last section addresses the relationship between policy transfer and policy “failure.”
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Béland, D. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108634700 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Consultocracy and its discontents: A critical typology and a call for a research agenda
Ylönen, M., & Kuusela, H. (2018) · Governance · doi:10.1111/gove.12369 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
“…of diverse and context-specific rationales for governments to purchase policy advice and hire external knowledge providers (see, e.g., Dolowitz & Marsh, 2000; Gunter et al., 2015, p. 527; Lapsley & Oldfield, 2001; Momani, 2013; Rehfuss, 1989; Roodhooft & Van den Abbeele, 2006; Savas, 2000;…”
BackgroundThe Transformative Power of Europe The European Union and the Diffusion of IdeasPreprint
Börzel, T. A., & Risse, T. (2009) · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Is transit-oriented development (TOD) an internationally transferable policy concept?
Thomas, R., Pojani, D., Lenferink, S., et al. (2018) · Regional Studies · doi:10.1080/00343404.2018.1428740 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
“…has insuf fi cient information about the policy/institution and how it works, crucial elements are not transferred, or insuf fi cient attention is paid to the differences between economic, social, political and ideological contexts in the transferring and borrowing countries (Dolowitz & Marsh, 2000).”
The Open Method of Co‐ordination: A Way to the Europeanization of Social and Employment Policies?*
Heidenreich, M., & Bischoff, G. (2008) · JCMS Journal of Common Market Studies · doi:10.1111/j.1468-5965.2008.00796.x · Cited by 146 · see citing works
On Waves, Clusters, and Diffusion: A Conceptual Framework
Simmons, B. A., & Elkins, Z. (2005) · Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) · doi:10.1177/0002716204272516 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
New directions in the study of policy transfer
Evans, M. (2009) · Policy Studies · doi:10.1080/01442870902863810 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
“First, the issue provides the first critical introduction to the study of policy transfer since 2000 (Dolowitz and Marsh 2000).”
BackgroundThe New Pension Reform as Global Policy
Orenstein, M. A. (2005) · Global Social Policy · doi:10.1177/1468018105053678 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
Freeman, R. (2009) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199548453.003.0017 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
Discourse, Learning and Welfare State Change: The Case of German Labour Market Reforms
Seeleib‐Kaiser, M., & Fleckenstein, T. (2007) · Social Policy and Administration · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9515.2007.00566.x · Cited by 140 · see citing works
- Authors
- Dolowitz, D. P., & Marsh, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- Venue
- Governance
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2000-01
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 5-23
- ISSN
- 0952-1895 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-0491
- OpenAlex
- W2131213453
- Semantic Scholar
- 5a6a4556fc8be4d8d481d76da9ab9e4f1d19ff07
- Cited by
- 3,314
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 171 · 2025: 119 · 2024: 130 · 2023: 183 · 2022: 175 · 2021: 216 · 2020: 193 · 2019: 275 · 2018: 291 · 2017: 153 · 2016: 152 · 2015: 130 · 2014: 147 · 2013: 123 · 2012: 154
- FWCI
- 125.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Governance (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Policy Transfer and Learning
- Social Sciences › Public Administration › Public Policy and Administration Research
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Global Educational Policies and Reforms
- Keywords
- policy transfer, policy diffusion, policy convergence, lesson-drawing, international policy transfer, policy making, policy failure
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