Policy Failure Research Articles

Exploring the Subprime Crisis

This paper delves into an examination of the three primary interrelated factors that precipitated the subprime mortgage crisis: regulatory deficiencies, policy failures, and dysfunctional innovation. Furthermore, it conducts an analysis of the underlying factors that exacerbated the ramifications of this economic upheaval: the excessive proliferation of securitization, a deficiency in market transparency, inadequate risk management practices within financial institutions, and challenges associated with credit rating agencies. The subprime mortgage crisis has incited extensive discourse across diverse sectors, notably encompassing two pivotal dimensions: firstly, inquiries surrounding the transparency of assets and, secondly, predicaments pertaining to governmental intervention for market stabilization. This article undertakes a comprehensive categorization and in-depth exposition of these discrete issues, proffering meticulous explications corroborated by empirical substantiation. Culminating in its denouement, the article proffers prudent recommendations aimed at preemptively mitigating the advent of future crises. The entire discourse endeavors to maintain an objective and truthful perspective, aiming to explore the fundamental nature of the subprime mortgage crisis rigorously.

Positionality in the Politics of Education: Mapping the Strategies and Constraints of Education Reformers

The success and failure of education reform policies often depend on the strategies of reformers. This article suggests a framework to understand the positionality of reformers, as they vary in their strategy (i.e., technical vs. relational) and focus for change (i.e., process- vs. outcomes-focused). Using the case of individuals who initiated new data systems in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City, the study discusses four groups of reformers: Engineers privilege efficient technical fixes that may be resisted by people on the ground. Capacity-builders focus on empowering schools but may lead to variable successes. Framers research and disseminate ideas to reframe policy and political discourses. Table-setters leverage their social networks and financial resources but may challenge democratic decision-making. As schools continue to be sites of political debates and challenges, the concept of positionality can clarify how reformers promote particular changes and can suggest possibilities for positions to constructively complement each other.

Why policy failure is a prerequisite for innovation in the public sector

Researchers and practitioners agree that collaborative innovation is crucial for problem-solving in public policy. This article contributes to our understanding of innovation in public governance, by arguing that failure in public policy is often a prerequisite for successful policy learning and innovation. Using insights from the ‘Innovator’s Dilemma’ – a theory from business studies – to develop its argument, the article emphasises how voter myopia (Nair and Howlett, 2017) plus blame avoidance by decision-makers and ill-structured policy issues, create an ‘Innovator’s Dilemma’ that produces failure before successful innovation. The article compares this theory with other concepts of innovation in the public sector and theorises different pathways to successful policy innovation. It concludes that decision-makers need to take the Innovator’s Dilemma more seriously and integrate its lessons into existing innovation models designed for the public sector.

Development Policies and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

Nigeria is not referred to as the Poverty Capital of the World for lack of development policies. Even before the Second Republic, various regimes, have initiated brilliant development policies aimed at positioning the country as real Giant of Africa; as opposed to the demographic giant that we are on the continent today. The country is endowed with enormous human and material resources that could be harnessed for the benefit of the citizenry. But failure on the part of our leaders has led to the staggering level of poverty that inundates the land, especially, the country side. Sadly, poverty is not a phenomenon that can be cast away through prayers; or wished away; neither can development be achieved in the realm of desirability. It takes conscious planning, dogged and pragmatic efforts to conquer these phenomena. The paper adopts the Human Capital Theory by Gary Becker and Jacob Mincer as its theoretical framework. The theory is apt because it prescribes education, training and skills acquisition as mechanisms for attracting productivity, workers’ efficiency and overall socio-economic development. The work will take a cursory look at development policies initiated by past regimes, from the Second Republic till date. In that light, poverty reduction in Nigeria shall be viewed through the prism of the impact of the development policies experimented over the years. The study shall also look at the challenges that these policies faced in course of their implementation. The causes of the failures of these well-intended policies shall be looked into and recommendations to ameliorate the problems shall be given.

Kryzys i innowacje. Co jest grane?

Purpose – Is to demonstrate theoretical and practical indeterminacies consequences resulting from imprecise and ambiguous definition of concepts in the sphere of innovative activity, especially in the period of multiplied crisis. Research methods – Hermeneutics, comparative and diachronic analysis, using primary and secondary sources and critical literature analysis, expert method. Results – The author juxtaposes the common understanding of the importance of innovation for economic development with the significant complexity in achieving a high level of economic innovation as a result of numerous institutional “assemblies” in conditions of multiplied crisis; shows the need to limit modifications in defining and measuring innovation in order to capture reliable results of innovative economic activity. Originality / value / implications / recommendations – Research shows new challenges for innovation to ensure security as the most desirable phenomenon in the 21st century, limiting the failures of innovation policy, they indicate the need to study these failures in order to rationalize research recommendations, they introduce new concepts of borderline and paroxysmal innovations in connection with the overlapping effects of a multiplied crisis.

Proxy failure in social policies as one of the main causes of persistent sexism and racism.

One example of proxy failure is current antisexist and antiracist policies. One of the most popular proxy in them is the number of representatives of marginalized groups - women and nonwhite people - in power structures. Here I show that such measures do not lead to combating sexism and racism, which flourish despite their application.

Что происходит с образовательной системой США?

The article examines a complex of different types of problems that the Joe Biden administration faced when pursuing a course in the field of education, identifies painful points in its system, shows the ratio of successes and failures in educational policy and the extent to which the White House has taken into account changes in the demand for graduates in the labor market USA and in the perception of young Americans about the value of a university. Higher education in this country is considered a source of pride and the key to unlocking the American Dream. American universities rank nineteenth out of the top thirty in the world’s university rankings, and nine of the most successful universities are located in this country. However, behind this facade lies the accumulation of financial, personnel, social and racial problems in educational institutions. An analysis is given of the decline in the attractiveness of college in the eyes of the younger generation of Americans, caused by some devaluation of the diploma on the labor market, the rising cost of education and the increase in student debt on loans. In turn, the factors for the high cost of education are: the cycle of supply and demand, inflation, bloated administrative, teaching staff and university staff, whose work is ultimately paid for out of the pockets of students and their parents. An alternative to college and university that offers a faster and much cheaper route to a career in the form of short-term online courses and technical education schools is becoming popular among a significant portion of the younger generation. A special section is devoted to the analysis of the political and intellectual movement called Critical Race Theory, which has penetrated the curriculum of schools and colleges in many American states and identified another line of division in American society.

Disambiguating Maize Policy Failure in Kenya, 2013 – 2024: A Political Economy Perspective

Disambiguating Maize Policy Failure in Kenya, 2013 – 2024: A Political Economy Perspective

Logic Analysis of Public Policy Failure under Smith Model—Taking the Central-Local Implementation Deviation of Epidemic Prevention and Control as an Example

Logic Analysis of Public Policy Failure under Smith Model—Taking the Central-Local Implementation Deviation of Epidemic Prevention and Control as an Example

Conceptual triple E model for sustainable food security: A solution-based framework for hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria

Food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition have been a global challenge, particularly among low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria. Despite international donors’ interventions, the number of food insecure households, hunger, and malnutrition keep increasing, though exacerbated by the security challenges in Nigeria. Nigeria ranked 107th out of 113 countries on the Global Food Security Index (GFSI), and the level of hunger in Nigeria remains considerably serious, as Nigeria also ranks 109th out of 125 countries in the 2023 Global Hunger Index (GHI). Owing to these challenges, the Nigerian government has instituted policies and programmes to boost food production, yet the issue of food insecurity persists due to poor implementation. Failure of policies and programmes is principally due to the so-called NO-STEP syndrome-no sincerity or transparency in the execution of policies. Furthermore, there have not been structures that could provide a basis for the formulation of the policies and also evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their implementation. Therefore, this study outlines a conceptual “Triple E (Evaluation, Education, and Empowerment) framework”. The goal is to strengthen rural agricultural activities for adequate food production, a sure pathway to achieving food security and hunger reduction. Furthermore, considering the increasing number of malnourished children in Nigeria, the Triple E also entails a novel initiative, SIT-250/4/1 (survey, identify, and treat 250 thousand malnourished under five children, every quarter per year), and if adopted by the Federal Government of Nigeria, it could help reduce significantly, in the shortest possible time, the number of malnourished children in Nigeria.

Assessment of Climate Risks, Vulnerability of Urban Health Systems, and Individual Adaptation Strategies in the City of N’Djaména (Chad)

Climate variability and change are already having a negative impact on the health of tens of millions of Africans through exposure to sub-optimal temperatures and extreme weather conditions as well as increasing the range and transmission of infectious diseases. This study aims to identify climate risks and the vulnerability of health systems as well as individual coping strategies in the city of N’Djaména. To achieve this, we adopted a methodology combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Meteorological data on wind, temperature, and rainfall were collected at daily and monthly intervals from the National Meteorological Agency in N’Djaména. Qualitative data were collected via focus group discussions with targets of the city’s health system and quantitative data were collected from the population on the basis of oriented questionnaires. The results show that rising temperatures with heat waves, regular flooding, and strong winds are the major climate risks identified. These have numerous impacts and effects on the city’s health system due to the following vulnerability factors most recognized by city dwellers: insufficient medical equipment in health facilities (IEME), the fragile nature of people’s physiological state in the face of climatic risks (CFEP), and the failure of city sanitation strategies and policies (DSPA). This study proposes a set of recommendations for transformational adaptation of the healthcare sector, which remains vulnerable to climate risks.

Federal Reserve’s Influence Over the Bangladeshi Taka

This paper investigates the relationship between the Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) and the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy, particularly the impact of changes in the U.S. Effective Federal Funds Rate (EFFR) on the Taka's valuation. Despite Bangladesh's steady economic growth from 2003 to 2023, the Taka consistently depreciated against the U.S. Dollar, especially during periods of increased EFFR. The study contrasts the Taka's behaviour with other South Asian currencies, finding that the Taka's depreciation pattern is uniquely correlated with EFFR changes, unlike its regional counterparts. This correlation suggests that external factors, specifically U.S. monetary policy, significantly influence the Taka's value. This insight challenges the local perspective attributing the Taka's depreciation solely to domestic policy failures, emphasing the need for considering global economic influences in the depreciation of the Bangladeshi Taka.

Challenges and Perspectives in the Management of Solid Urban Waste in Municipalities in para State: A Critical and Multifaceted Analysis

Objective: The production and accumulation of solid urban waste is a problem that plagues urban life in Brazilian municipalities. The aim of this study was to investigate the main factors limiting solid waste management in municipalities in Pará. Method: The study was based on data retrieved from the Ministry of Cities' National Sanitation Information System (SNIS) for 117 municipalities in the state of Pará. Data on the population served, services provided, presence of selective collection, compliance with laws, among others, were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results and conclusion: In this context, the study provided a detailed analysis of the current situation, identifying gaps in management and pointing out specific challenges faced by the municipalities. In short, the research provides a comprehensive overview of solid waste management in Pará's municipalities, highlighting critical challenges, proposing solutions and indicating areas for future research and practical interventions. Research implications: Contributing to the debate on the importance of state capacities in solid waste management, sustainability and public health. Originality/value: The research shows that policy failures often arise from an unbalanced focus on a single element, neglecting the complex web of influences that shape public service efficiency.

Identifying and Prioritizing Failure Factors of the Implementation of Health System Policies Using Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, Their Effects, and Analytical Hierarchy Process

Background: After the policies are formulated and approved, they are communicated to the managers for implementation. Several factors lead to the failure of health system policies. In this research, these factors have been identified and ranked.
 Methods: This was an applied research, and in terms of strategy, it was a survey. The research community consisted of 21 experts in the field of health in the Ministry of Health and universities of medical sciences, who were selected through random and targeted sampling. The tools of data collection were interviews and questionnaires, and to analyze data, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used.
 Results: In this research, 4 dimensions of failure factors regarding the implementation of the health system policy were identified, including governance, management, environmental and financial resources, and 23 components of the mentioned dimensions were identified. Moreover, the most important identified failure factors through AHP and FMEA were prioritized and evaluated.
 Conclusion: Knowledge of failure factors can help to improve the capacity of the implementation of health system policies.

INDUSTRIAL POLICY IN ASIAN NEWLY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES: CONTROVERSIES, REVIEW AND LESSONS

The paper’s aim is to use the successful example of the newly industrialized Asian countries, as well as the countries of the East Asian region in general, to prove the need to implement industrial policy in many countries, both those lagging behind in industrial development and those that have reached the technological frontier. The paper describes the evolution of industrial policy in these countries and what distinguishes them from other developing countries that were unsuccessful in its implementation: the developmental state, which recognized timely the turning point from the strategy of import substitution to the strategy of export promotion, implemented both strategies simultaneously, picked winners, provided support to infant industries through selective interventions, but also disciplined the recipients of its support, tracked its own comparative advantages and anticipated their changes, with a strong synergy between the state and private sectors, and looking at Japan as a model of industrial development, i.e. the lead goose. Industrial policy is one of the most controversial issues in economics. There has been a long debate between two schools of thought - orthodoxy and heterodoxy - as to whether there is a need for industrial policy in general, as well as the role of the state in the process of its creation and implementation, as opposed to the free market model of development in which there is no place for industrial policy, and if it appears it can be only of a general nature, and by no means in the form of selective interventions. Over the last 10 to 15 years, there has been a revision both at the academic level and in the real world that has made industrial policy more acceptable, and thus the debate about it has become less ideologically colored and more pragmatic and nuanced. At the theoretical level, the market fundamentalist view of little theoretical justification for industrial policy has lost its dominance. Despite maintaining neoliberal orthodoxy as the advice of international financial institutions in the process of creating economic policy in developing countries, industrial policy remained important for the promotion of industrial development, especially the infant industries. It is accepted that there are many types of market failures that must be addressed through industrial policy. It is increasingly recognized that industrial policy is not just a highly idiosyncratic practice associated only with the miracle economies of East Asia, but what most of today’s developed countries used when they were in the position of the catching-up countries. As a conclusion, the paper discusses the possibility of transferring the East Asian model to other countries, and sheds light on the determinants of industrial policy success and failure. The key conclusion is that there is room for successful industrial policy even in countries that have reached the technological frontier and want to push it further, as well as in countries lagging behind in industrial development, although the global context in which industrial policy is situated has changed over time. A special commentary is referred to the economic and industrial development of the former countries of Yugoslavia.

Language Policy in Teaching STEM in Morocco: Teachers’ Perspective of Using French in Moroccan STEM classes

This chapter is an exploratory study of the effect of changing language policy on students and teachers in studying/teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in Arabic language to French. It examines the challenges they both face in the use of a foreign language in academic, personal, and social levels, taking into considerations various factors of gender, education, and social status. This investigation goes beyond the political struggles and ideologies to shed light on those directly affected by these changes; students and teachers. The program started in 2014-2015; almost a decade has passed since its launch, providing teachers with more than enough time to accumulate insight into the failure or success of this language policy as well as the real challenges facing its implementation.

Decider in Chief? Why and How the Public Exaggerates the Power of the Presidency

Democratic accountability requires that citizens accurately attribute credit and blame to leaders and institutions. However, citizens tend to simplify politics by personifying the state as its leader and directing credit and blame accordingly. Using an expert survey and a five-wave public panel survey spanning two administrations, we contrast public and expert perceptions of presidential power. We demonstrate that the public exaggerates the president’s powers relative to scholarly experts and that people who exaggerate presidential powers most are more likely to attribute blame to the president. However, a change in partisan control of the presidency shifts perceptions of power among partisans. Finally, we find suggestive evidence of similar shifts in belief after salient policy failures. These results provide the most direct evidence to date that citizens generally exaggerate the president’s influence and control but that these beliefs change over time in response to events.

School policy actors and their policy work in a multi-academy trust

ABSTRACTThis paper reports on data and analysis from a case study examining policy enactments in a multi-academy trust (MAT) in England. I draw on a semi-structured interview with an assistant headteacher in a secondary school which is part of a MAT. I use a framework created by Ball et al. (2011) which established a typology for describing policy actors in schools as narrators, entrepreneurs, outsiders, transactors, enthusiasts, critics and receivers. I argue that the policy work of school senior leaders in a MAT can be highly precarious. They are required to act as policy entrepreneurs and enthusiasts. However, there is little opportunity for critical engagement with the work being undertaken as the implementer of policy, and they bear a heavy burden of responsibility in a depoliticised system which places blame for policy failure with individual schools and school leaders.

Labour migration market and policy failure: A comparative study of the Philippines and Nepal

AbstractLabour migration is one of many strategies adopted by developing countries to achieve economic growth, but its success varies across countries. Migrant workers often face issues related to their welfare and protection at their workplace due to information asymmetries and power imbalances in the labour market. This study compares the policies and initiatives of the Philippines and Nepal, aligning them with the Decent Work agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals. The study's findings underscore the importance of considering various factors that impact the welfare and protection of migrant workers to achieve sustainable socio‐economic growth in labour sending countries.

Research on the Impact of Implementing the Three Child Policy: Perspective from a Social and Economic

Over the past decade, China has seen a decline in birth rate as well as an aging population. In May,2021, Chinese government has announced three-child policy to further restore the demographic structure following the failure of two-child policy. Using the latest data collected from China National Bureau of Statistics, Statista, World bank and Global data, this paper examines the effect of the three-child policy on the raising fertility rate and on female labor market. According to the quantitative analysis, it is found that the three-child policy has been almost ineffective on increasing birth rate to date, and it did not improve the intention for the young couples to have more children. Based on the data, the policy indeed reduced female employment and worsened gender discrimination in workplace, which widened the gender wage gap. Therefore, these studies also provide some theoretical and practical measures to safeguard female employment rights and ensure sustainable development. Approaches in this paper are presented for better understand the policy consequences and promoting them.