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Policy Styles and Degenerative Politics: Poverty Policy Designs in Newfoundland and Quebec
Author(s) -
Mondou Matthieu,
Montpetit Éric
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
policy studies journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1541-0072
pISSN - 0190-292X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-0072.2010.00380.x
Subject(s) - adversarial system , poverty , politics , style (visual arts) , virtuous circle and vicious circle , political science , action (physics) , public policy , development economics , political economy , sociology , economics , law , geography , physics , archaeology , quantum mechanics , macroeconomics
This article examines the proposal suggesting that policy designs are consistent with the social construction of target groups. Associated with policy design theory, the proposal pessimistically suggests that underprivileged citizens will be targeted with policies that do little to help them, creating a vicious circle of degenerative politics. This article argues that the prevalence of degenerative politics depends on policy styles. Significant where the adversarial style prevails, degenerative politics is less common in consensual systems. This proposal is examined through a systematic content analysis of action plans to reduce poverty in Newfoundland and Quebec.