Modeling the Role of Culture in Policy Transfer: A Dynamic Policy Transfer Model

Abstract

Anticorruption policy transfer has been discussed for decades, but the influence of culture in target countries has not received comparable attention sufficient to explain the lack of progress in reducing corruption in those countries. The conceptualization of culture so far has provided only a limited tool for developing a dynamic theory of policy transfer. We propose a bottomup model of dynamic policy transfer that takes into account the cultural context in target countries. We first define culture as a set of values that are consistent with each other but that also conflict. We then develop a dynamic policy transfer model that revises the traditional model by considering the proposed concept of culture. Finally, we discuss the practical implications of the model, emphasizing the importance of knowledge of culture at the local level, where a bottom-up implementation of anticorruption policy takes place. We conclude by suggesting strategies for empirical research and specific implications regarding the Korean policy context.