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Why do junctures become critical? Political discourse, agency, and joint belief shifts in comparative perspective
Author(s) -
Rinscheid Adrian,
Eberlein Burkard,
Emmenegger Patrick,
Schneider Volker
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
regulation and governance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.417
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1748-5991
pISSN - 1748-5983
DOI - 10.1111/rego.12238
Subject(s) - juncture , divergence (linguistics) , agency (philosophy) , politics , structure and agency , argument (complex analysis) , perspective (graphical) , trace (psycholinguistics) , political science , critical discourse analysis , positive economics , sociology , epistemology , political economy , social science , linguistics , law , economics , philosophy , biochemistry , chemistry , artificial intelligence , ideology , computer science
Why do junctures become critical in some cases but not in others? Building on the critical juncture framework and perspectives on the formation and diffusion of beliefs, we develop a theoretically parsimonious and empirically traceable account of divergence in institutional outcomes. By illuminating the role of agency and joint belief shifts we further open the “black box” of critical junctures. In particular, we develop the argument that the role agents play is conditioned by conflict lines that structure an institutional field before a juncture sets in. Empirically, we trace political discourses around the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Canada, Germany, and Japan using discourse network analysis. Through comparative investigation, we empirically show that discursive interactions during potential critical junctures indicate institutional outcomes that are shaped by causally relevant historical legacies.