How do public policies change? The role of single policy actors

Abstract

Policy change is the more complex and ambiguous object of research. As we perfectly know is really more simple to explain policy persistence rather than change. Policy change is continuously challenging social and political scientists from both the theoretical and the empirical perspectives. The literature offers many models of policy change (simple and linear model, complex and very articulated models, structural models, constructivist models, mixed models and so on). The panel is intended to focus on the role of policy actors. How do leaders brokers, entrepreneurs, experts, single individuals holding strategic roles matter in influencing policy change? How do the strategic positions in policy making and organizations, ideas, interests, capacity of argumentation of single individuals matter in developing policy change? From the theoretical point of view the panel's focus is on the conceptual distinction of the role of single policy-actors in policy change dynamics (by showing their sources, capability, opportunities and constraints and the stages where they could have more chances to play a significant role). From the empirical point of view we expect papers capable to show the relevance that single policy makers can have in influencing the different stages of policy change process.

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