Editing Public policy (section)

==Frameworks of public policy==

Public policy frameworks provide systematic approaches to policy implementation, analysis and improvements offering insights into the roles of actors, institutional dynamics, and the broader context influencing decisions.

=== Policy Cycle Framework ===

Proposed by Harold Lasswell, the policy cycle framework is one of the oldest public policy framework. It outlines a sequence of stages in the policymaking process: agenda-setting, policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. This framework emphasizes the iterative and dynamic nature of policymaking, enabling a structured analysis of how policies evolve over time.<ref>Lasswell, H. (1951). The Policy Orientation. In D. Lerner & H. Lasswell (Eds.), The policy sciences: Recent developments in scope and method (pp. 3–15). Stanford University Press.</ref>

=== Multiple Streams Framework ===

Developed by John Kingdon, this framework focuses on the convergence of three streams—problems, policies, and politics—to create a "policy window" for change. Kingdon emphasizes the critical role of timing and policy entrepreneurs in shaping policy outcomes.<ref>Kingdon, J. W. (1984). Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies (pp. 164–208). Longman.</ref>

=== Punctuated Equilibrium Theory ===

Proposed by Frank Baumgartner and Bryan Jones, this theory explains periods of policy stability punctuated by sudden, significant changes. According to Baumgartner and Jones, these shifts occur due to interactions between institutional dynamics and issue framing.<ref>Baumgartner, F. R., & Jones, B. D. (1993). Agendas and Instability in American Politics (pp. 3–24). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.</ref>

=== Policy Feedback Theory ===

Suzanne Mettler and Mallory SoRelle advanced the policy feedback theory, which examines how existing policies influence future political and social dynamics. Their framework highlights the feedback loops that policies create, shaping subsequent political action and societal responses.<ref>Mettler, S., & SoRelle, M. (2017). Policy feedback theory. In C. M. Weible & P. A. Sabatier (Eds.), Theories of the Policy Process (4th ed., pp. 131–171). Routledge.</ref>

=== Advocacy Coalition Framework ===

Introduced by Paul Sabatier, this framework explores how coalitions of actors with shared beliefs influence policy processes over extended periods. Sabatier's work is particularly valuable for understanding policy change in complex and contested policy areas.<ref>Sabatier, P. A. (1993). Policy change over a decade and more. In P. A. Sabatier & H. C. Jenkins-Smith (Eds.), Policy Change and Learning: An Advocacy Coalition Approach (pp. 13–40). Westview Press.</ref>