Policy capacity research: An overview and bibliography of the international literature, 1978 to 2023

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview and bibliography of international policy capacity research that has developed over the past 40 years and to highlight themes that constitute the field. Through an international and multi-disciplinary synthesis of 311 English abstracts in 172 peer-reviewed journals, we find that policy capacity research has been driven by a handful of widely cited researchers, maintained a predominantly qualitative methodology, and focused on governments located in the West. Empirical research is needed to understand the dynamics of policy capacity outside of governments in the West, with a focus on developing actionable recommendations for practitioners to improve the quality of public policy in their respective jurisdictions. This paper fulfils the need for a comprehensive bibliography of policy capacity research for use by both academics and practitioners.