Overview

This book explores how policy ideas are spread - or diffused - in an age in which policymaking has become increasingly complex and specialized. Using the concept of enterprise zones as a case study in policy diffusion, Karen Mossberger compares the process of their adoption in Virginia, Indiana, Michigan, New York, and Massachusetts over a twelve-year period. Enterprise zones were first proposed by the Reagan administration as a supply-side effort to reenergize inner cities, and they were eventually embraced by liberals and conservatives alike. They are a compelling example of a policy idea that spread and evolved rapidly. Mossberger describes the information networks and decision-making processes in the five states, assessing whether enterprise zones spread opportunistically, as a mere fad, or whether well-informed deliberation preceded their adoption.

Full Product Details

9780878408016

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Reviews

This is, refreshingly, both a positive and a realistic policy story. -- Australian Journal of Political Science

This is, refreshingly, both a positive and a realistic policy story. -- Australian Journal of Political Science

Author Information

Karen Mossberger is associate professor of public administration, University of Illinois at Chicago.

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