Investigating ACF Policy Change Theory in a Unitary Policy Subsystem: The Case of Ghanaian Public Sector Information Policy

Heinmiller, B. Timothy; Osei, Emmanuel M.; Danso, Eugene

doi:10.4000/irpp.1894

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Aside from this observation, we discovered that scholars used the framework to analyze topics that have received less attention within ACF's research program. Notable examples include nutrition policy (Harris 2019), alcohol policy (Mambulu et al 2015), maternal and child health policy (Okeke et al 2021), information policy (Heinmiller et al 2021), and health policy (Nwalie 2019). In short, the numerical and topical expansion of the ACF suggests growing interest among scholars to use the framework to explore policy issues in Africa, thus cementing the relevance of the framework to analyze a range of policy topics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Five studies explicitly tested this hypothesis and all confirmed it, and most identified internal and external events as the leading pathways to policy change. For instance, Heinmiller et al (2021) examine policy change in Ghana's information policy subsystem using news media data. The study found external shocks, such as change in government, adjustment in public opinion, and passing of the Special Prosecutor's Bill, as the foremost factors that led to policy change.…”

Section: Theoretical Components and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Advocacy Coalition Framework: Lessons from Applications in African Countries

Osei‐Kojo

Ingold

Weible

2022

Polit Vierteljahresschr

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Although the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) emerged in Western democratic contexts, scholars increasingly apply it in other parts of the world to analyze diverse policy topics. These cross-country comparisons have provided a means for advancing comparative research, drawing lessons about policy processes, and offering opportunities to refine the framework. In this paper, we provide an overview of the ACF and its use as an analytical tool for comparative research. Through a systematic literature review, we identified 27 applications in 15 African countries, including democracies, authoritarian governments, and hybrid systems. Based on these applications published in peer-reviewed journals, we explore this illustrated collection of case studies to see how the ACF has been applied outside of Western democracies and to identify strengths and weaknesses of the ACF as a portable framework. These applications confirm the basic postulations of the ACF, but we also identify a few nuances and expectations. Based on these insights, we finally lay out a research agenda and a new generation of questions for applying the ACF in the African context as well as globally.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical Components and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Advocacy Coalition Framework: Lessons from Applications in African Countries

Osei‐Kojo

Ingold

Weible

2022

Polit Vierteljahresschr

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“…A subsystem is characterized by the presence of a semi-autonomous community sharing expertise, actors seeking to influence the policy over a long period, specialized agencies operating at all relevant government levels for the subsystem, and interest groups mobilized around the subsystem's theme. Subsystems comprised of non-hegemonic actors within the national socioeconomic context tend to be less resilient (HEINMILLER, OSEI and DANSO, 2021;SABATIER and JENKINS-SMITH, 1999).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy Dismantling and Resilience: a Proposal for an Analytical Framework Based on the Case of the Food and Nutritional Security Policy in Brazil

Andrade,

Milhorance,

Parnes

2024

Bras. political sci. rev.

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This study examines the link between policy dismantling and democratic backsliding through a comprehensive analytical framework. This framework not only addresses dismantling strategies but also assesses resilience mechanisms, covering aspects like new policy implementation arrangements, diversification of governance, involvement of non-state actors, and the creation of alternative forums. Applying this framework, the study examines three food and nutritional security programs using qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Findings highlight significant impacts of dismantling on initiatives started during the Workers' Party administrations, especially affecting the Food Acquisition and the Cisterns Programs that heavily involve civil society in their operations. In contrast, the National School Feeding Program showed resilience, supported by established subsystems and a federative pact. The Cisterns Program's resilience, underpinned by effective mobilization of beneficiaries and civil society organizations, also stands out, illustrating the importance of community involvement in counteracting policy dismantling.

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“…Montefrio (2014) makes this connection and uses qualitative coding of primary documents and interview transcripts to operationalise the resources available to the advocacy coalitions in his study. Heinmiller, Osei and Danso (2021) also draw on the typology of coalition resources but, based on Nohrstedt's (2011) findings that the formal legal authority to make policy decisions is most important for determining coalition power, they focus on this resource alone, operationalising an advocacy coalition as in power 'if it was aligned with a political party possessing the formal legal authority in the Ghanaian political system to make policy decisions' (Heinmiller et al, 2021: 80).…”

Section: Status Quo Advocacy Coalitions 'In Power'mentioning

confidence: 99%

Advocacy coalitions, power and policy change

Heinmiller

2023

Policy &Amp; Politics

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This article examines one of the causal concepts in the second advocacy coalition framework (ACF) policy change hypothesis: the notion that major policy change will not occur as long as the advocacy coalition that instated the policy status quo remains ‘in power’ in a jurisdiction. It examines the role of this causal concept in ACF theory. It then reviews existing scholarship on the causal concept, identifying relevant empirical evidence and critically examining how the concept has been operationalised. A standard operationalisation is proposed, defining status quo advocacy coalitions as ‘in power’ if they control a veto player in a jurisdiction’s policy process. Changes in Canadian firearms policy between 1976 and 2012 are used to illustrate the operationalisation and explore its potential.

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Investigating ACF Policy Change Theory in a Unitary Policy Subsystem: The Case of Ghanaian Public Sector Information Policy

Cited by 6 publications

References 18 publications

The Advocacy Coalition Framework: Lessons from Applications in African Countries

The Advocacy Coalition Framework: Lessons from Applications in African Countries

Policy Dismantling and Resilience: a Proposal for an Analytical Framework Based on the Case of the Food and Nutritional Security Policy in Brazil

Advocacy coalitions, power and policy change

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