Policy Failure Research Articles

Plausibility, Acceptability, and Trustworthiness: The Resonance of Shale Gas Frames in the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT We employ a mixed-method research design to assess the resonance of key frames used in the UK policy debate over shale gas development amongst two distinct public audiences. We elaborate a conceptual framework drawn from argumentative discourse analysis and social movement studies. The framework conceptualises resonance as the result of frame plausibility, acceptability and trustworthiness. We utilise semi-structured interviews to analyse how frames resonate with local “campaigning publics” in the case study region of the Fylde, Lancashire, UK. The plausibility of the frames and trustworthiness of key organisations amongst the general public are also assessed through a nationally representative UK survey. We find that, amongst the general public, the frames of the anti-shale development discourse coalition are viewed as more plausible than those of the pro-shale coalition. This finding offers a partial explanation for the failure of UK shale policy. Our local community interviews identify contrasting views on frame resonance amongst local “campaigning publics”. We illustrate these contrasting views on frame resonance by exploring how pro – and anti-shale development interviewees generally held different perceptions about the trustworthiness of key actors and institutions, the promise of economic benefits, and the framing contests over climate change and risk and regulation.

Afterlives of coal: land and transition dynamics in Central Appalachia

Abstract The US has witnessed unprecedented federal investments targeted to “energy communities” since 2021. Scholars, policy-makers, and activists have long sought to promote policies that ensure that energy transitions bring about just outcomes. However, emerging political frameworks for decarbonization and energy source transition frequently neglect to account for the role of incumbent actors in upholding long standing legal, economic, and political arrangements that produce uneven distributions of benefits and burdens in energy systems. In this paper, we reflect on ongoing energy transition efforts in Central Appalachia, sharing our experiences from community-based research documenting the localized effects of carbon forestry offsets, solar energy projects, and postmine land uses, such as prisons, that are structurally linked to concentrated land ownership and capture of federal investments by legacy actors who have long dominated local and regional extraction regimes. We argue that the success or failure of broad-based transition policies depends largely on place-based dynamics rooted in land: who controls the land, who has access to land, who benefits from investments in land, and how public revenues flow from land. Empirical analysis of the politics of land from the local vantage point offers insights into how elites who have historically controlled the extractive economy continue to shape the landscape, but also opens up different worlds of possibilities that emerge at different scales.

Learning from HIV and drug policy failures: reflections from clinical practice and research in Edinburgh

Learning from HIV and drug policy failures: reflections from clinical practice and research in Edinburgh

Assessing immigration policy success in Australia

AbstractImmigration is an area of public policy ripe for potential characterisation as either policy success or failure. Given that it is a complex area of policy, it is often politicised, and there are different stakeholders with varying views of what constitutes ‘success’ and ‘failure’. All these factors suggest that a policy's success or failure will in some instances change over time and can be open to subjective opinion. In this article, we focus on particular aspects of this story—how the temporal dimension of determining policy success and failure can influence our assessment of policies. We assess one policy that has been evaluated as a success, particularly in a global context: Australia's selection of skilled immigrants and the subsequent incorporation of these migrants as permanent residents. We then consider a policy area that is more accurately considered a policy failure—namely, the historical management of asylum seeker backlogs and its effects upon the occasional misuse of certain visa processes by visa applicants—and we outline how this issue grew over time. This supports the fundamental argument that the assessment of success and failure is temporal in nature and that the endurance of policy is crucial in determining its characterisation. Furthermore, deviation from the original policy intent over time will be an additional measure of policy failure, and this will vary according to implementation challenges.Points for practitioners The assessment of policy as ‘successful’ or a ‘failure’ is temporal in nature. It is hard to be successful over the long term. The quality of data available to policy‐makers will influence the ways in which the relative success of policy is adjudged. Administrative datasets can provide more detailed insights for policy evaluation than shorter term surveys. Qualitative studies are of value in adjudging success. Immigration is a policy domain where the evaluation of success will depend upon the perspective of relative stakeholders as there are strongly affected interests in this area with differing views on what constitutes ‘success’. Immigration policy success shifts over time, dependent upon the interaction with other policy areas such as border protection, enforcement policies and their funding, as well as higher education policy.

Policy success and failure in Australia

AbstractThis paper introduces the seven articles in the symposium on policy success and failure together with a short introduction to the large literature on policy success and failure. The issue brings together an analysis of success and failure within seven discrete policy domains, including Indigenous policy; immigration; foreign policy; water; government roll‐outs; education; and foreign aid. Previous case studies have not looked as systematically at both success and failure within the same policy domain, and so the direct comparison in a most similar systems framework has not previously been adopted. Each paper sets its own criteria for what it considers success and failure, allowing for the forthcoming analyses to remain relevant to their specific context and parameters. However, despite their differences, the papers reflect on the importance of institutions, implementation processes—specifically their attentiveness to the on‐ground conditions and target groups—political dimensions, time, expectations, and memory. This suggests that while it may be difficult to compare across policy domains, our within‐policy domain comparison reveals that good governance, despite some failures, is not a lost art.Points for practitioners The criteria for success or failure of government policy is relative to time, perspective, ideology, and context. The criteria for success or failure of government policy might vary across policy domains; what is appropriate for some domains might not be for others. We can consider policy success and failure in terms of programme, outcome, or political agenda. Programmes can succeed in some aims and fail in others. Case studies are the appropriate means for examining success and failure, and capturing the narrative is important in how a policy is viewed.

Proposing critical realism and second-generation environmental justice for advancing sacrifice zone analysis

This article addresses the complex social-ecological challenges faced by sacrifice zones—territories subjected to severe environmental degradation and social injustices. Traditional environmental justice research, with its emphasis on distributive justice, often fails to capture the intricate dynamics of these often not-recognized areas. In light of these limitations, this article proposes a second-generation environmental justice approach, employing a critical realist paradigm, to identify sacrifice zones and explore their deeper causal mechanisms. This approach, which transcends the distributional focus of traditional research, reveals mechanisms commonly observed in these zones. These mechanisms enable and sustain environmental degradation and social injustices through dynamics such as economic exploitation, policy failures, and power imbalances. Intertwined within social-ecological systems, these dynamics create cycles of poverty, health disparities, and ecological harm. Moreover, the article offers a methodological reflection on the theoretical proposal and planning practices toward environmental justice. It concludes with recommendations for future research, emphasizing the importance of systemic change and inclusive policy-making to achieve environmental justice and sustainability.

The Future of Section 514: Policy Failures and the Path Forward for the Debt-Financed Income Rules

The Future of Section 514: Policy Failures and the Path Forward for the Debt-Financed Income Rules

Dual-credit policy failure: The emergence principle and hedging mechanisms

Dual-credit policy failure: The emergence principle and hedging mechanisms

Wildlife policy, the food system and One Health: a complex systems analysis of unintended consequences for the prevention of emerging zoonoses in China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Philippines

IntroductionEvolving human–wildlife interactions have contributed to emerging zoonoses outbreaks, and pandemic prevention policy for wildlife management and conservation requires enhanced consideration from this perspective. However, the risk of unintended consequences...

백제 초기 왕위계승과 정변

The early royal family of Baekje was a dual structure of Buyeo clan Onjo-Chogo and Woo clan Biryu-Goi. They caused a political upheaval with the powerful forces around them over the succession to the throne, and as a result, they even carried out a change of royal family. King Chogo consolidated the Woo clan of the Daebang-Michuhol region and took the position of head of the federation for the first time. Afterwards, King Goi deposed King Saban, the grandson of King Chogo, and established the Biryu royal lineage. In this process, King Goi used the military power of the Jin clan, and tried to overcome the problems in the succession process and strengthen the royal authority. However, after King Goi, the failure of China's foreign policy with the county government began to shake the royal power of the Goi dynasty. King Biryu took advantage of this opportunity to lead a political upheaval with the Hae clan and restore the super-ancient kingship. However, as a result of not being able to completely control the Goi power, he had no choice but to hand over the throne to the King of Goi. Afterwards, King Geunchogo completely expelled the Goi forces through political change and established the power of the Chogo kingship. Such a series of historical facts were recorded in the Onjo-Chogo in order to secure the legitimacy of the succession to the throne in the process of compiling the 『Seogi』 during the reign of King Geunchogo. In this process, the throne was arranged in the form of succession in the Biryu-Goi lineage and blood ties, especially the father-son relationship. As a result, the founders of the two lineages, Onjo and Biryu, became brotherly brothers, and the founding tradition was created, which became the source material for the early records of the Baekjebongi.

The Issue of Food Security in Algeria: A Critical Analytical Reading of the Reasons for Failure

Achieving state security is considered one of the essential traditional goals of political systems, as states seek to ensure their national security at all levels. The concept of security has evolved beyond the traditional military concept to include political, social, and economic areas. The study addressed one of the important axes in achieving security, especially in recent times, which is food security. This article studies the topic of food security in Algeria and explains the failure of the various policies adopted by the decision-makers in achieving food self-sufficiency. The study concluded that this failure is due to multiple internal and external reasons, especially the rentier nature of the Algerian economy, which perpetuated the reliance on rent income in spending without considering serious policies to enhance food security.

Précis of Philosophizing the Indefensible

Abstract This book asks what distinctive contributions political philosophers might make when reflecting on obvious moral failures in public policy. I defend a particular kind of contribution: I argue that political philosophers can and should craft ‘strategic’ arguments for public policy reforms, showing how morally urgent reforms can be grounded, for the sake of discussion, even in problematic premises associated with their opponents. The book’s opening chapter provides a general defense of this approach, situating it within a broader conception of political philosophy’s social responsibilities. Subsequent chapters then apply strategic theorizing to a set of diverse policy issues. These range from the abortion debate and financial regulation in the United States, through controversies surrounding the participation of Arab parties in Israel’s political process, to global issues, such as commercial ties with oil-rich dictatorships, and the bearing of such ties on global climate change.

National unity: A systematic review from the perspective of policy effectiveness experience

National unity is a matter of great concern for many countries around the world today. The study of policy evaluation is an important aspect of the study of national unity. The evaluation of policy implementation effects can help policymakers analyze whether there are problems in the formulation and implementation of the policy, thereby promoting further policy adjustments to better achieve national unity. This article adopts thematic searches and a systematic literature review as research methods. Through the systematic review, it summarizes and analyzes the research on national unity policies across different regions and countries. The article has two objectives: First, to explore the current perspectives in the research on national unity policies, and second, to analyze the state of research regarding the effectiveness of national unity policies. Among the 35 papers analyzed, 7 were on integration policy, 6 were on education policy and 4 were on language policy. To a certain extent, this reflects the perspectives of some countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, including France, Greece, Russia, Turkey, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and other countries on the governance of national unity. Research on policy effectiveness is mainly conducted from the perspectives of policy content and policy implementation. However, there is little analysis of successful cases that achieved the desired goals. The main contributions of this article are as follows: first, it summarizes and identifies the characteristics of national solidarity-related policies in different continents and countries. Secondly, the experience of the success and failure of the national unity policy is studied and summarized. In addition, this article also found that there are still gaps in the research on successful experiences and causes.

Where public health meets public opinion: Understanding political support for fluoridation in Calgary, 2021.

To understand variables associated with support for community water fluoridation among ordinary citizens during periods of heightened issue salience, with a particular focus on how support varies on the basis of demographic characteristics, attitudes toward public health science, and political variables such as ideology, populism, and issue salience. Statistical analysis of individual-level data from a large-scale survey of eligible voters in the City of Calgary, Alberta in 2021, collected at the time of a community water fluoridation plebiscite. Survey data (N = 1130) reveal substantively important and statistically significant relationships with fluoridation support in each of our three analysis categories (demographics, public health expertise, and politics). Support for fluoridation tends to be higher among men, university-educated, higher-income; among those with trust in experts and knowledge of fluoride governance; and among those who consider the issue important and have low levels of populist attitudes. Two exceptions to findings in past studies are age and ideology: younger respondents were more likely than older respondents to support fluoridation in Calgary, as were those on the ideological left, as compared to the right. Incorporating studies of the correlates of public attitudes related to public health policies is important for understanding public health policy failure and success, especially in instances involving public consultation mechanisms, such as plebiscites.

The values dimension of policy success and failure: Considering two Australian rural adjustment policies

AbstractIn 1992, Australia introduced a National Drought Policy comprising a number of policies each focused on achieving a common goal of a self‐reliant, productive farm sector capable of managing the challenges of climate variability. This paper considers two of these policies, one of which has been an acknowledged success and the other that is generally regarded as a failure. The paper assesses these schemes against the criteria proposed by Luetjens et al. and concludes that analysing policies in values terms is a more effective way of understanding, and potentially predicting, policy success and failure.Points for practitioners Policy is more likely to succeed if there is an alignment between the purpose underpinning a policy agency and the nature of the policy problem. Policy can fail where the values of the agency and the target population for the policy differ. Policy success is more likely where there is a single, clear goal embodying a single value priority rather than multiple values that are in conflict.

Land rights and a national representative body: Institutionalisation as a criterion for Indigenous policy success and failure

Land rights and a national representative body: Institutionalisation as a criterion for Indigenous policy success and failure

Stopping in Time: Prospect Theory and The Failure of Deterrence Policy

The failure of deterrence policies in minimizing ongoing threats often occurs when traditional frameworks, which predominantly rely on cost-benefit calculations, prove inadequate. Most existing studies are anchored in these static models, focusing primarily on the immediate calculations of cost and benefit. However, such an approach overlooks the importance of a more dynamic understanding of decision-making processes, which are inherently fluid and responsive to shifts in environmental perceptions. This research seeks to address this gap by providing a dynamic analysis of Japan's decision to attack Pearl Harbor. By utilizing secondary sources from archival materials, this study aims to offer a more comprehensive explanation of how changing perceptions influenced Japan's strategic choices, contributing to the broader discourse on the limitations of deterrence policies.

Global sport mega-events and local community impacts: the case of housing and redevelopment in Porto Alegre at the 2014 Men’s World Cup finals in Brazil

There has been little in-depth, social scientific research on how local communities experience the hosting of global sport mega-events (SMEs) with respect to the impacts of redevelopment on housing. This paper seeks to address this significant research gap through an in-depth study of housing issues, following substantial urban redevelopment, in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, for the 2014 men’s football World Cup finals. Research was undertaken with residents in locations affected by redevelopment. Data was gathered through two main research methods: a resident survey using random sampling (Cochran protocol, 1977, error of probability set at .05), and follow-up semi-structured interviews. The research found that residents viewed the redevelopment impacts on housing in critical and negative ways, with reference to a range of issues including increased personal insecurity, threats to ownership of real estate and the right to housing, misinformation, loss of public services, lack of public consultation, and policy incoherence and failure. From this, we argue that more research is needed both on how local communities experience sport mega-events when affected by them, and more specifically on how the negative impacts of these events on housing may be identified and tackled.

Can Policy Succeed through Inactivity? A Case Study of UK Foreign Policy after the Gulf War

Abstract Can policy succeed through inactivity? Why does some inactivity lead to policy success, whilst others lead to policy failure? Whilst traditional approaches to policy success and failure have focused upon the impact of active policy interventions, this article draws together literature on policy failure and inactivity to develop hypotheses and a new conceptual framework to engage with the problem of inactivity in foreign policy. These are then applied to the case study of UK foreign policy in the Middle East after the 1990–1991 Gulf War. During this time the British government established four key policies; two would succeed, whilst two would fail. Using the new framework, extensive archival research, and documents received under the Freedom of Information Act, conditions for policy success and failure are revealed. As a result, this article argues that inactivity can be highly consequential and deserves much greater attention within foreign policy scholarship.

Analysis of reasons for failure of birth stimulus policies in East Asia

Fertility decline has become a common trend in global demographic development. Developed countries have taken the lead in entering the era of low fertility levels, and developing countries are also experiencing a decline in fertility. Economic growth, the improvement of people's living standards, the enhancement of women's education, employment level, and social status, and the change in the concept of reproductive culture have all hindered the development of fertility. This paper summarizes some failed policies to stimulate fertility in East Asian countries and analyzes why a series of policies to encourage fertility implemented in East Asian countries have had little effect on fertility.