Critical Policy Research Articles

”Vi behöver fler akutskolor i Sverige för de elever som inte kan uppföra sig som folk”

The aim of the article is to explore constructions of the disciplinary measure emergency school, understood as an institutionalization of the policy for and the public discourse about “forceful measures for safety and discipline” in schools. Theoretical approach is critical policy analysis. The empirical material consists of, in this context, relevant policy documents, Swedish media discourses and international research. Emergency schools have made a rapid journey through the Swedish school-institutional landscape. From loosely defined local inventions, with a plenty of labels to being constructed as a matter of national urgency. The public discourse has rapidly evolved from stressing that the goal of emergency schools is to offer support to students at-risk (discourse of equity) in a secluded environment to becoming a site where rowdy, violent and criminal students at least temporary can be evacuated (discourse of safety). The question of knowledge is completely absent from public discourse and from the policy foundations. One of the risks with emergency school, apart from anticipated stigmatization and negative impact on learning progress, is that its sheer existence can negatively affect the primary responsibility of ordinary schools for safety, positive school climate and equity of all students. The pressing issue to be raised is not just what emergency schools do with their students, but also what they do with the ordinary schools’ overall responsibility for safety and positive school climate.

Policy rhetoric, realities, and burdens: Using critical policy analysis to center at-promise student success in the McNair program

Educational policies designed to benefit students from first-generation, low-income, and racially minoritized backgrounds do not always consider the realities these students experience during college. Instead, students participating in compensatory education programs can endure further marginalization. Using critical policy analysis’ core tenets as guiding principles to frame our study and guide our analysis, we conducted a three-phase qualitative analytic study. We examined interviews with students and McNair program policy documents to interrogate policymakers’ hidden assumptions and the (de)centering of minoritized student perspectives in the McNair program policy. Students in the program discussed varied and conflicting definitions of success, such as learning they did not want to attend graduate school—a primary goal and measure of success for the federal government. They also highlighted advisors as a source of support. By centering the experiences of students, our findings highlight this critical gap and draw attention to the administrative burdens placed on at-promise students, emphasize the need for holistic socio-emotional support in federal policy, and underscore the powerful role of supportive faculty and staff.

A paradox of public engagement: The discursive politics of environmental justice in Canada's Chemical Valley

AbstractFor over a decade, members of the Aamjiwnaang Nation have continued to fight for the recognition and redress of their unique environmental health concerns in a region known as Canada's Chemical Valley. From a critical policy studies lens, this article addresses the discursive policy challenges faced by those who are most affected by the toxic policy assemblage of enduring pollution exposure. In response to the research question: how can the voices and lived experiences of those living in pollution hotspots like Chemical Valley contribute to the theory and practice of environmental justice, this article draws upon findings from extensive field‐work in the surrounding region of Lambton County as well as policy advocacy including participation in Senate of Canada hearings. This analysis examines how the omission of community‐based knowledge and expertise reproduces inequities. The article concludes with strategies for improved environmental justice and lessons learned for policy justice in Canada and beyond.Related ArticlesAl‐Kohlani, Sumaia A., Heather E. Campbell, and Stephen Omar El‐Khatib. 2023. “Minority Faith and Environmental Justice.” Politics & Policy 51(6): 1069–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12564.Ash, John. 2010. “New Nuclear Energy, Risk, and Justice: Regulatory Strategies for an Era of Limited Trust.” Politics & Policy 38(2): 255–84. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2010.00237.x.Dilmaghani, Maryam, and Jeremy Dias. 2023. “In or Out? Citizenship Outcomes of Working Sexual and Gender Minority People of Canada.” Politics & Policy 51(5): 868–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12557.

Racial Capitalism in an Ethnic Minority Border Region

Abstract In the social, historical, and political context of Xi Jinping’s China, particular forms of racialization and racial capitalism have emerged in Altay Prefecture, the homeland of ethnic Kazakhs on China’s northwest border. This study examines the husbandry industry in Altay Prefecture to elucidate how Xi’s China has built a mode of racial capitalism through the management of Kazakh land, ethnicity, and culture. Within the framework of a case study, I employ document collection and participant observation methods to gather data that are then interpreted through critical policy analysis. The research shows that Kazakhs have been racialized based on their mobile pastoral traditions, enslaved in the “debt economy,” and exploited through husbandry policies and programs. The particular ways in which husbandry has been restructured and assimilated into Chinese industrial production chains exploit and reproduce the Kazakh-Han hierarchy and segregation. This close look at racial capitalism in Altay sheds light on the operations of Xi’s ecological civilization and war on poverty policies in an ethnic minority border region and discusses how they align with the broader geopolitics of the Belt and Road Initiative in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

Low-carbon Pilot Cities and Financialization of Listed Companies: Inhibitory Effects and Policy Analysis

This study examined the low-carbon pilot city policy as a critical policy intervention. We explored its potential impact on the financialization of China-listed companies. The findings indicate that listed companies exhibited a significant downward trend in the proportion of financial assets held among the low-carbon pilot city projects. Policy implementation has intensified the financing constraints of enterprises, effectively curbing the degree of corporate financialization. The effect of capital returning to the actual industry under policy guidance was more prominent for companies with a high proportion of institutional investors, underscoring the positive role of policy in adjusting enterprises’ capital structure while promoting the development of the real economy.

Foreign direct investment inflow and the economic growth nexus in Tanzania

PurposeA shortage of investment capital is one of the main issues facing most developing economies, including Tanzania. Policymakers, economists, and governments in these countries have been debating how to overcome this obstacle and improve economic growth through foreign direct investments (FDI). The present study endeavors to examine the relationship between FDI and economic growth in Tanzania during the period of 1991–2021. The analysis considers financial development, capital formation, and labor force involvement as intermediation variables.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses time series data to estimate an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, as well as Granger causality tests to investigate the relationship between the variables under study.FindingsThe findings show a long-run co-integration between the studied variables. However, only FDI and labor input have a significant impact on gross domestic product (GDP) growth in both the short and long run. Bidirectional causality exists between FDI, labor input, and GDP growth in the short and long run.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to an understanding of the relationship between inbound FDI, labor input, and economic growth in Tanzania, as well as updating the government to improve its financial system to gain more from FDI inflows and hence boost growth-enhancing effects.Originality/valueThis study provides insight into the relationship between inbound FDI and economic growth in Tanzania, which is a critical policy concern in developing economies. Extant studies’ results remain controversial, and this is the first study in Tanzania to investigate the FDI-growth nexus, by considering financial development, capital formation, and labor input simultaneously.

An intersectional approach on menstrual inequity as lived by women in circumstances of socioeconomic vulnerability in an urban and rural setting in Spain: a qualitative study

Since menstrual health and menstrual inequity are determined by social power structures, this study proposes to analyse, from an intersectional perspective, the experiences of menstrual inequity of women and people who menstruate (PWM) (≥18 years) under circumstances of socioeconomic vulnerability in an urban and rural setting in Catalonia (Spain), focusing on menstrual poverty, menstrual management and access to health care for menstrual health. An exploratory and interpretative qualitative study was conducted. Venue-based convenience sampling was carried out, recruiting women from a non-governmental organisation and a primary health care centre. Eighteen individual semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2022 and February 2023. Data were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. Analysis revealed that menstrual care was generally a distant preoccupation that revolved around circumstances of socioeconomic vulnerability, housing, and productive/reproductive work. Menstrual poverty, menstrual management and menstrual self-care challenges, barriers to accessing health care for menstrual health, and menstrual taboo, stigma and discrimination were commonplace and deepened by socioeconomic vulnerability. In this way, women’s menstrual experiences were rooted in intersecting axes of inequity, based on gender, race and class. Intersectional and critical participatory research, policy and practice are imperative to develop counter mechanisms that confront systems of privilege-oppression to modulate menstrual experience, health and equity.

Test Case Automation: Transforming Software Testing in the Digital Era

Purpose: This research aims to explore the limitations of manual software testing, the effectiveness of test case automation in addressing these challenges, and the strategies for successful implementation of automation. It also examines the broader impact of adopting test automation on the quality, speed, and efficiency of software delivery. Methodology: The study investigates the challenges of manual testing in agile and DevOps environments and explores the role of automation as a solution. By analyzing various automation tools, frameworks, and best practices, the research provides insights into successful implementation strategies for test case automation. Additionally, it reviews the associated benefits and potential challenges organizations may face when transitioning to automated testing. Findings: Test case automation significantly mitigates the shortcomings of manual testing, particularly in fast-paced development cycles. The findings reveal that automation not only enhances the quality of software by catching defects earlier but also accelerates the testing process, improving overall efficiency. However, the study also identifies challenges, such as the initial investment in tools and skills required for automation, as well as the ongoing need for maintenance of automated test cases. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of software testing (Tom Badgett, Corey Sandler & Glenford J. Myers, 2011) by highlighting the essential role of automation in modern software development methodologies like agile and DevOps. It bridges the gap between traditional manual testing and contemporary automated practices, providing a framework for understanding how automation fits within these rapid development paradigms. In practice, the study encourages organizations to adopt test case automation as a critical policy for improving the quality and speed of software delivery. It offers practical insights into the implementation of automation, including tool selection, training, and process integration, which can guide companies in transitioning to automated testing. Additionally, it highlights the long-term benefits of automation, making it a valuable policy consideration for organizations aiming to optimize their development and testing processes.

Payment rates and the stability of subsidized child care: Evidence from Minnesota's child care assistance program

Participation instability has been recognized as a major challenge in state child care subsidy programs and may undermine the benefits of these programs to the children and families they are intended to support. Payment rates – the maximum amounts that state subsidy programs will pay for child care in a given period – directly determine which providers are affordable to subsidized consumers and what schedules of care they can afford. Payment rates also affect the resources available to providers and their incentive to accept subsidies. This study examines the effect of payment rate increases on the stability of participation in child care subsidies and the stability of subsidized care arrangements. We study the impact of a major update to payment rates for the Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program, using monthly child- and provider-level administrative data and a quasi-experimental design. We implement a regression discontinuity design built on the state's method of setting county rates. We find strong evidence that higher subsidy payment rates lead to more stable subsidy participation and care arrangements. Thus, state-determined payment rates are a critical policy lever that affects access to care.

A theoretical critique of deterrence-based policy

ObjectivesDeterrence-based policies are central to criminal justice, assumed greater prominence in recent decades, and have assumed that more and tougher punishment necessarily deters crime. This paper provides a theoretical critique of deterrence to identify the limits and possibilities of effective deterrence-based criminal justice policy. MethodsWe build on prior work and recent advances in scholarship to develop a theoretical critique and a theoretical basis for improving deterrence-based policy. ResultsThe critique identifies fundamental problems with classical deterrence theory that undermine the likely effectiveness of extant deterrence-based policies. We identify theoretical dimensions that address these problems and that can guide policies in ways that increase the likelihood of appreciable deterrent effects on crime. ConclusionsDeterrence-based policies based on classical deterrence theory, and variants of it, are unlikely to be appreciably effective and are not consistent with an evidence-based approach to policy. If deterrence policies are to be used, designing them around a coherent and systematic conceptualization of deterrence holds greater potential for reducing crime and would highlight the role that rewards for prosocial behavior can play in deterring crime.

School District Discourse Coalitions and Equity-Focused Policy Innovations in Oakland, California 2020–2021

Purpose: To better understand how district leaders at urban school districts innovate and design policies, this study investigated how actors in one district, Oakland Unified School District, discussed ways to improve their education system at school board meetings during 2020 and 2021. Approach: The research used a case study approach to develop a process of inquiry, drawing on theoretical literature on innovation in social fields, empirical work on urban education reforms, and methodological considerations from critical social analysis techniques. It used a variety of qualitative methods to identify critical policy issues and policy innovations, and examined the way actors in two coalitions, each with a different approach to change, used discourse to convey their ideologies about racial equity and justice. Findings: District actors collaboratively designed and passed five innovative policies: school safety, remote learning, climate change, Black reparations, and mental health. While one group, the incumbent discourse coalition, focused attention on fiscal stability and closing underperforming schools, another, the challenger discourse coalition, conveyed strategies on improving schools and surrounding communities through new education policies. Though unexpected crises expedited innovation, the perspectives of the dominant culture were most privileged in the final designs of resolutions. Implications: By using broad theories and generalizable concepts this study shows how discourse in policymaking can be examined in other settings and illustrates ways similar school districts may innovate in their systems.

Refining and expanding accountability policy for English learners to support Lau implementation: A critical policy analysis

ABSTRACT Title I accountability requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) represent the present-day instantiation of Lau, which requires schools to provide a program for English learners (ELs) that supports their meaningful engagement and to provide transparent information about EL program quality. This study uses critical policy analysis to explore whether ESSA accomplishes what it intends. Employing a parallel mixed methods design, we first analyze longitudinal data from two states to examine whether their approaches to assessing EL students’ academic performance and progress support valid claims about EL achievement. Then, we analyze focus group and interview data from educators, advocates, and families in states to understand how they assess the quality of a school’s EL program. Taken together, our findings highlight the need for the incorporation of multiple perspectives into the design of state accountability systems and for the development of robust data systems that facilitate the sharing of accurate and nuanced information related to EL student outcomes and opportunities.

A qualitative exploration of policy interventions to improve the health-related quality of life of people living with HIV AIDS and co-morbidities of hypertension and/or diabetes in Ghana.

The intersection of infectious diseases, such as HIV, with chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes poses a significant challenge in global health. While advancements in antiretroviral therapy have transformed HIV into a manageable chronic condition, a growing number of individuals with HIV now grapple with coexisting non-communicable diseases, impacting their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Despite strides in HIV care, there is a notable policy gap that undermines efforts to address HIV-associated co-morbidities, particularly hypertension and diabetes, especially efforts to improve access, early detection, and ultimately HRQoL for individuals with HIV and co-morbidities. This study seeks to explore policy interventions aimed at improving the quality of life of HIV patients with hypertension or diabetes. The study utilized a qualitative descriptive design to explore the experiences and perspectives of healthcare professionals and support staff regarding policy interventions for managing HIV patients with hypertension and/or diabetes co-morbidities in three regions of Ghana. The research was conducted in the Upper West, Ashanti, and Greater Accra regions among 11 participants, chosen purposively from professions involved in HIV patient care to understand their views on the implementation of policy interventions to HRQoL for individuals with HIV and co-morbidities. In-depth interviews were conducted face-to-face and tape-recorded. Thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data. The study involved 11 participants from three regions with varied years of experience. Implemented policies that potentially improve the HRQoL for individuals with HIV and co-morbidities involve support groups, home visits, provision of free drugs, and counselling. Barriers to policy implementation included non-adherence to medication, stigma, cost of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) medications, accessibility issues to NCDs services, lack of interest or understanding among implementers, and high staff turnover. Facilitators encompassed in-service training, guidelines in common platforms, knowledge sharing, external resources, regular check-ups, and motivational packages for patients. Individuals with HIV and comorbidities face complex challenges impacting their HRQoL, including emotional and financial dimensions. The study identifies critical policies and barriers, underscoring the need for tailored, patient-centered approaches. Facilitators like in-service training and regular check-ups offer actionable insights for effective policy implementation, emphasizing improved health outcomes for those with comorbid conditions. The study recommends integrated care approach and adherence support programs that address the unique challenges faced by people living with HIV.

Unlocking the potential: Insights from industry on barriers, solutions and policy gaps in Ireland's energy storage sector

The energy storage sector across Europe faces many financial, regulatory and policy barriers which has to date hindered development in many countries. This study documents industry perspectives from Ireland, a country which requires a significant increase in the development of energy storage due to security of supply concerns, its isolation from Europe’s central transmission network and its reliance on wind energy as a primary intermittent renewable energy resource. Using focus groups and a survey with the renewable energy and storage sector, we document perspectives on the critical barriers, innovative solutions and policy gaps identified by industry stakeholders and policy makers. Our participants believe energy storage will play a crucial role in unlocking Ireland’s substantial wind energy potential in order to meet its energy security and climate aspirations. However, our respondents suggest that unlocking this potential will require a coherent national energy storage strategy designed to reduce curtailment, identify storage technologies with duration-specific targets and establish a more comprehensive renewable energy plus storage power procurement mechanism designed for the Irish market which supports the grid, rewards low carbon technologies and reduces emissions.

Bridging the Gap: Analyzing Healthcare Access and Inequalityin Ghana

Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has made tremendous progress towards the aimof obtaining universal healthcare coverage. By boosting access to key healthcare services, the NHIS hasplayed a vital role in improving healthcare outcomes across the country. However, despite these advancements, major discrepancies in healthcare access exist, especially among low-income households and rural communities. These inconsistencies show fundamental injustices in the distribution of healthcare services and raise doubts about the NHIS’s potential to effectively serve themost vulnerable parts of society. This research tries to explore the difficulties of healthcare access in Ghana by delving into NHIS membership data. Through an analysis of this data, the study shows patterns of inequality related to both economic status and geographic location. By concentrating on how different economic quintiles connect with the NHIS, the research highlights important hurdles to enrollment and continuing access to healthcare. Additionally, the spatial research indicates considerable inequalities, illustrating how rural residents often experience more severe obstacles in getting healthcare compared to their urbancounterparts. Furthermore, the quality of healthcare services given under the NHIS is severely assessed. Issues such as inconsistent service delivery, poor resource allocation, and different levels of patient satisfaction emerge as important concerns that must be addressed to increase the overall success of the plan. Beyond Ghana’s boundaries, the research encompasses a comparative review of health insurancemodels from Rwanda, South Africa, Mexico, and Kenya—each country presenting a unique approach to healthcare funding and insurance coverage. Rwanda’s community-based health insurance, South Africa’s progressive changes, Mexico’s focus on service quality, and Kenya’s required enrollment offer useful lessons for resolving the inadequacies in Ghana’s NHIS. By drawing on these different models, the study intends to highlight best practices and lessons that could drive policy suggestions customizedto Ghana’s specific social, political, and economic setting. The study offers three critical policy reforms that might strengthen the NHIS and improve healthcare access across the country. Enhancing community participation is regarded as a critical way to enhance NHIS enrollment, particularly among underrepresented populations. Moreover, improving the subsidy mechanisms to better support low-income households is advocated as a manner of eliminating financial obstacles to healthcare. The study also advocates for specific measures to addressthe regional imbalances in healthcare infrastructure, noting the need for increased access in rural areas. Ultimately, these steps are not only meant to eliminate the gaps in coverage but also to secure the long-term sustainability of the NHIS, positioning it to continue offering fair healthcare to all Ghanaians. By tackling these problems and implementing targeted changes, Ghana can make considerable steps toward obtaining true universal healthcare coverage. The NHIS has the potential to become amore inclusive and resilient healthcare system, capable of fulfilling the requirements of the entire population.

The political logic of just transition policies

ABSTRACT A ‘just transition’ calls for compensations to fossil fuel workers whose jobs will be lost because of the clean energy transition. The ethical case for a just transition acknowledges the hardship of vulnerable workers. In contrast, I examine the political case for a just transition. The logic of such a case remains hazy and under-theorized. I draw on the insights of ultimatum games to understand the strategic dimension of the relation between governments and fossil fuel workers. In a successful just transition, the government compensates workers in exchange for their exit from the fossil fuel industry. This ensures a faster clean energy transition. Yet the prospects of such an agreement depend on several parameters: the quality of outside options available to workers, their cost of mobilization, and the climatic benefits that the government obtain from a fossil fuel phaseout. I show that a government's credibility is also critical. This theoretical exercise helps make sense of several otherwise puzzling patterns in just transition policies and offers guidance on critical policy issues. Key policy insights Just transition policies can break the carbon deadlock by incentivizing the exit of fossil fuel workers. The ability of the government to induce the exit of labour depends on climatic benefits, fossil fuel wages, outside option wages, and anti-government mobilization costs. Lack of government credibility, which can be caused by political risks, capacity constraints, or low trust, reduce the prospects of phaseouts and increase their cost. Unions play an ambiguous role: they increase wages and reduce mobilization costs, but can improve outside options, solve coordination failures, and reduce transaction costs. Fossil fuel firms can and do use financial and non-financial strategies to reduce the mobility of their workers.

The place of a basic income in the search for a more just society: a comment on ‘”Covering all the [welfare] basics”: a critical policy study of the Expert Panel on Basic Income report in British Columbia, Canada’ by Tracy Carrier-Smith et al

In this article, we respond to a critical review of Covering all the Basics: Reforms for a More Just Society, published in this journal (Smith-Carrier, T., Forget, E., Power, E. and Halpenny, C. [2024] ‘Covering all the [welfare] basics’: a critical policy study of the Expert Panel on Basic Income report in British Columbia, Canada, Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, XX(XX): 1–27, DOI: 10.1332/17598273Y2024D000000016), by providing what we view as a more accurate description of the findings and arguments in that report. The result, we hope, is an alternative depiction of how a basic income would relate to the search for a more just society.

기회형 창업자와 생계형 창업자의 인식을 반영한 창업생태계 활성화 방안: IPA 및 추세 분석

This study aims to explore activation strategies for the Korean entrepreneurial ecosystem by reflecting the perceptions of both opportunity-driven and necessity-driven entrepreneurs. Using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) and trend analysis, we evaluate key components of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and analyze the perception differences between the two types of entrepreneurs. The results indicate significant differences in how opportunity-driven and necessity-driven entrepreneurs perceive the importance and performance of startup support policies, providing valuable policy implications. Specifically, opportunity-driven entrepreneurs highly evaluated the performance of funding and government support programs, whereas necessity-driven entrepreneurs emphasized the importance of social safety nets and tax policies. Based on these perception differences, this study proposes improvement strategies for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, aiming to enhance the survival rate of startups and promote sustainable growth. The findings offer critical policy insights to better support the diverse needs of entrepreneurs.

Modelling what matters: How do current models handle environmental limits and social outcomes?

Models that represent the economy, society, and environment are critical macroeconomic policy tools. However, economic output as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is increasingly being seen as an unreliable and undesirable economic indicator and policy goal. Instead, multiple indicators of environmental impacts and social outcomes are needed to make decisions about sustainable development.Drawing on the Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries, and the Sustainable Development Goals, we analyse 50 models to assess the state of the art in modelling the environment, society, and economy. We categorise models according to their economic foundation and modelling approach, assess their coverage of 15 environmental and 21 social indicators, and identify feedbacks between different model parts. We further construct a targeted sample of 15 models that represents the diversity in modelling approaches and indicator coverage, and use this sample to investigate how environmental and social indicators are linked to macroeconomic drivers.For the environment, indicator coverage is best for climate change, energy use, and land conversion. Within current models, environmental impact is largely driven by GDP and agricultural production. For society, coverage is best for jobs, income (wages and inequality), and productivity. Within current models, social outcomes are largely driven by income per capita, government spending, and governance. Models rarely contain feedbacks from the environment and society to the economy, and few include any biophysical limits.The current focus on monetary flows limits understanding of the interconnections between environmental, social, and economic systems. We argue that modellers should rely less on economic variables as determinants of social and environmental outcomes. Specific provisioning systems could be modelled in more detail to allow models to explore growth-agnostic ways of achieving a good life for all within environmental limits.

Intersectional transformation or ‘gender equality+’? Intersectionality in European Union policies on research and science

This article investigates the emergence of intersectionality in EU policy discourses on gender equality in science and research, focusing on how it transforms existing equality politics. Based on critical policy analysis, we identify both limitations and potentials of this development. First, we find that, while documents often focus on the individual dimension of intersectionality, they do not necessarily neglect the structural dimension, as individuals’ experiences are sometimes used to illustrate structural aspects at work. Second, despite increasing mentions of intersectionality, we find that policy discourses remain dominated by a strong focus on gender. Third, we argue that the emergence of intersectionality reflects a shift from striving for sameness between men and women towards a neoliberal conception of valuing differences equally. This shift, while promising greater inclusivity, also risks depoliticizing and commodifying diversity. Our findings underscore the need for policies that genuinely address intersecting inequalities, advancing beyond individualistic and gender-centric approaches.