Path dependence and resistance to it in public policies: The case of charter school policies in the United States

Abstract

AbstractPolicies are assumed to rarely change after enactment. Punctuated equilibrium theory argues this is because law makers shift attention away from policies after enactment, letting them run on autopilot. I argue that the periods between punctuations deserves study, and that what law makers do is design institutions to make policies path dependent so they can only change within limited parameters—if at all. It may also be that interest groups opposing new policies are still able to shape the way they evolve, pushing against intended paths. In this article I test the influence of path dependence versus group opposition in state charter school policies. I find some evidence of path dependence, but I also find that, to some extent, opposing interests can still change these laws after enactment. Furthermore, I find these policies became increasingly similar over time, partially because of path dependence, but also because of the influence of opposing interests.Related ArticlesErtas, Nevbahar. 2015. “Policy Narratives and Public Opinion concerning Charter Schools.” Politics & Policy 43(3): 426–51. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12120.Kwon, Sung‐Wook, and Sylvia Gonzalez‐Gorman. 2019. “Influence of Local Political Institutions on Policy Punctuation in Three Policy Areas.” Politics & Policy 47(2): 300–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12295.Patrick, Barbara. 2016. “Performance Policies and Workforce Development: Can the Market Model Be Successfully Implemented in the Public Arena?” Politics & Policy 44(6): 1116–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12185.