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Policy Expansion in Local Government Environmental Policy Making
Author(s) -
Arnold Gwen,
Long Le Anh Nguyen
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
public administration review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.721
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1540-6210
pISSN - 0033-3352
DOI - 10.1111/puar.12905
Subject(s) - public policy , scope (computer science) , policy studies , government (linguistics) , public economics , action (physics) , public administration , state (computer science) , process (computing) , local government , policy making , environmental policy , business , economics , political science , economic growth , environmental resource management , linguistics , philosophy , physics , algorithm , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language , operating system
Relatively little is known about when, why, and how some jurisdictions “double down” on policy priorities, rapidly adopting multiple measures tackling the same issue. Rapid policy expansion can emerge in fast‐evolving, uncertain, and contested policy arenas in which pressures for policy making are not satisfied, and even may be strengthened, by initial policy innovation. This article analyzes local government policy making on high‐volume hydraulic fracturing by New York State municipalities from 2008 to 2012. Policy path dependence, peer influence, and policy design appear to play a critical role in determining whether public officials respond to these pressures with policy expansion. Initial policy innovations can open windows for policy participants to secure additional measures that strengthen or enlarge the scope of action. Public officials and stakeholders seeking particular policy outcomes should take a long view of the policy process while simultaneously remaining alert for opportunities afforded by pressurized policy dilemmas .