The impact of policy topic networks on recombinant creation capabilities: Empirical evidence from the energy field

Abstract

Existing research on policy topic networks usually aims at revealing policy evolution, but few studies explore the antecedents of policy evolution. The dynamic change in networks results mainly from the innovative combination or recombination of nodes. Therefore, we propose that the characteristics of the policy topic network will influence the recombinant creation capabilities of topics and thus affect the subsequent network. This paper constructs the policy topic network, consisting of policy topics and co-occurrence relationships among them. After analysing the characteristics of networks and topics, we empirically test the hypotheses of the relationship between policy topic network characteristics and the recombinant creation capabilities of topics. The results show differences in energy policy topics at different stages. The period 2001–2005 focus on “water resources” and “energy saving”; from 2006 to 2010, “electric energy” became the high-frequency topic second only to “energy”, and “clean energy” began to appear. From 2011 to 2015, the ranking of “safety” improved significantly; from 2016 to 2020, topics such as “electricity”, “security” and “clean energy” appeared consistently. Empirically, we find continuity in the evolution of energy topics. Energy topics with high centrality, rich structural holes or strong ties are more likely to have more potential for recombinant creation, while the policy relatedness of energy topics has no significant effect. The study fills gaps in previous research and has practical significance for China's energy policy.