The aim of this paper is to tackle the issue of the articulation of discursive analysis and sociological approaches policy actor-centered approaches in order to explain policy change. Cognitive and discursiveThese two approaches have three main strengths: the identification of policy ideas and discourses sustaining policy change proposals, the links between policy ideas and policy actors (single actors or coalition of actors); the use of policy discourses by actors in order to influence policy orientations, especially policy change. But rather few approaches directly tackle the issue of the explanation of success of policy ideas and discourses against others.
This combination of discursive and sociological actor-centered approaches (analyzing not only the resources but also the interactions between policy actors) can give us new clues in the explanation of the success of policy discourses, and therefore of policy change.
