The neglected dimension: bringing time back into cross-national policy transfer studies

Policy transfer in a corporatist context: Agents, adjustments and continued innovation

“…A variety of factors can influence the transfer process, leading to the modification and adaption of policy in the receiving jurisdiction. Domestic policy issues (Béland, 2005; Duncan, 2009), economic and social conditions (Kwon, 2009), institutional arrangements and competition (Manwaring, 2016), government capabilities (Shipan and Volden, 2012), historical and cultural differences in institutional development (Desai and Snavely, 2007) and temporal elements such as political and electoral changes (Dussauge-Laguna, 2012) have been noted to influence the transfer, adoption and modification of policy. Local context, particularly the institutional and political environment are noted as important determinants shaping policy transfer (Alasuutari, 2014; Clavier, 2010; Johnston, 2005; Radaelli, 2005).…”

Policy Transfer through Time and the Search for Legitimacy in Developing Nations

“…This tendency has not gone unnoticed. Page (, 5) observed that “the concept of policy transfer says little about the time period”; Dussuage‐Laguna (, 567) refers to “lack of attention to the temporal dimension” in policy transfer literature; Pollitt (, 11) notes that “time is a vital, pervasive, but frequently neglected dimension in contemporary public policy‐making and management.” Stone (, 55) describes policy transfer as being “ahistorical,” while Carroll and Common (, 192) have appealed for “greater understanding of the dynamics of transfer over time.”…”

“…Although time has been paid much less attention than space in the policy transfer literature, it has not been ignored (see especially Carroll ; Dussuage‐Laguna ). Since there should be a sequence of events in any policy transfer, it necessarily appears in all studies.…”

“…Second, there is timing. This usage is built on the idea that “when things happen may have significant implications for how they happen” (Dussuage‐Laguna , 570). It is especially concerned with “why a particular model becomes influential at a given time?” (Majone , 104).…”

On the Past and Future of Policy Transfer Research: Benson and Jordan Revisited

“…How about other research topics? Much remains to be said, for example, about the ‘when’ variable, or how temporal factors affect policy transfers (Dussauge‐Laguna, 2012; Fawcett and Marsh, 2012; Page, 2000; Radaelli, 2009; Stone, 1999); about the ‘logistics of transfer’, including how policy study visits take place (Page et al ., 2004; Wolman, 1992), or how different organisational features and capacities condition cross‐national/cross‐sectoral learning (Brannan et al ., 2008; Common, 2004; Levitt and March, 1988; Randma‐Liiv and Kruusenberg, 2012); about the ‘politics of transfer’, or how bureaucratic conflicts, party ideologies, political calculations or political cultures might matter for these processes (Dussauge‐Laguna, forthcoming; Gilardi, 2010; Peters, 1997; Robertson, 1991; Robertson and Waltman, 1993); about the longer‐term impacts of policy transfers, including the issue of when and how to determine that a process has been successful or not (Fawcett and Marsh, 2012; Jacoby, 2000; Westney, 1987); and about the ‘spread of good/best practices’, for example how international organisations define what should be labelled as such, or how national policy makers decide which ‘good/best’ practices are worthy of imitation (Andrews, 2012; Bechberger et al ., 2008; Brannan et al . , 2008).…”