| ID | 140179 |
| Title Proper | Persistent policy pathways |
| Other Title Information | inferring diffusion networks in the American states |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Boehmke, Frederick J ; Desmarais, Bruce A ; Harden, Jeffrey J |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The transmission of ideas, information, and resources forms the core of many issues studied in political science, including collective action, cooperation, and development. While these processes imply dynamic connections among political actors, researchers often cannot observe such interdependence. One example is public policy diffusion, which has long been a focus of multiple subfields. In the American state politics context, diffusion is commonly conceptualized as a dyadic process whereby states adopt policies (in part) because other states have adopted them. This implies a policy diffusion network connecting the states. Using a dataset of 187 policies, we introduce and apply an algorithm that infers this network from persistent diffusion patterns. The results contribute to knowledge on state policy diffusion in several respects. Additionally, in introducing network inference to political science, we provide scholars across the discipline with a general framework for empirically recovering the latent and dynamic interdependence among political actors. |
| `In' analytical Note | American Political Science Review Vol. 109, No.2; May 2015: p.392-406 |
| Journal Source | American Political Science Review 2015-06 109, 2 |
| Key Words | Political Actors ; Persistent Policy Pathways ; Inferring Diffusion Networks ; American States ; Public Policy Diffusion ; Policy Diffusion Network ; Dynamic Interdependence |