Policy transfer explained

Policy transfer is a process in which information relating to the operation of one political system is utilised by another political system.^[1] While policies have always moved between political systems policy transfer has emerged as a study in and of itself since the mid 1990s with the publication of Who Learns What From Whom: A Review of the Policy Transfer Literature.^[2] Since then the concept has been developed and applied by urban geographers under the label of mobiblities^[3] by Jamie Peck and NikTheodore as Fast Policy^[4] and those interested in global networks as policy translations.^[5] Out of these literatures policy transfer has been applied to a range of policies running from zero tolerance policing, welfare-to-work and even Business Improvement Districts and the emergence of bike sharing programs.

Academic research on policy transfer

Policy transfer has been the subject of considerable academic research, led primarily by political scientists since the late 1990s.^[6] Since the mid-2000s geographers have also played an important role in these debates (often use the term policy mobilities instead of policy transfer).^[7]

Since David Dolowitz and David Marsh's (2000) paper 'Learning from abroad: the role of policy transfer in contemporary policy-making', academic research has focused on the issues of who is involved in policy transfer, what is transferred, from and to where policy is transferred, the degrees of and constraints on transfer, and its success once transferred.^[8] More recently there have been attempts to explicate the role of two way communication, and particularly feedback from policy stakeholders for successful policy transfer,^[9] along with efforts to acknowledge the "indigenization" of policies as they are modified and adapted to context.^[10] The debates in geography have focused on the technologies and methods through which policies and ideas circulate – such as study tours, conferences and best practice guides – as well as looking at how and why the policies change form as they circulate.^[11]

Notes and References

1. Dolowitz . D. . Marsh . D. . 2000 . Learning from abroad: The role of policy transfer in contemporary policy-making . dead . Governance . 13 . 1 . 5–24 . 10.1111/0952-1895.00121 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214857/http://ejournal.narotama.ac.id/files/0952-1895%2E00121.pdf . 2016-03-03 . 2013-03-10.
2. Dolowitz . David . Marsh . David . 1996 . Who Learns What from Whom: A Review of the Policy Transfer Literature . Political Studies . 44 . 2 . 343–357 . 10.1111/j.1467-9248.1996.tb00334.x . 145065238 . 0032-3217.
3. Book: McCann . Eugene . Mobile urbanism: cities and policymaking in the global age . Ward . Kevin . 2011 . University of Minnesota press . 978-0-8166-5628-8 . Globalization and community . Minneapolis.
4. Book: Peck . Jamie . Fast policy: experimental statecraft at the thresholds of neoliberalism . Theodore . Nikolas . 2015 . University of Minnesota Press . 978-0-8166-7731-3 . Geography . Minneapolis.
5. Stone . Diane . 2004 . Transfer agents and global networks in the 'transnationalization' of policy . Journal of European Public Policy . 11 . 3 . 545–566 . 10.1080/13501760410001694291 . 153837868 . 1350-1763.
6. Benson . D. . Jordan . A. . 2011 . What have we learned from policy transfer research? Dolowitz and Marsh revisited . Political Studies Review . 9 . 3. 366–378 . 10.1111/j.1478-9302.2011.00240.x. 153174174 .
7. McCann . E. . Ward . K. . 2012 . Policy assemblages, mobilities and mutations: Toward a multidisciplinary conversation . Political Studies Review . 10 . 3. 325–332 . 10.1111/j.1478-9302.2012.00276.x. 143018191 .
8. Dolowitz . D. . Marsh . D. . 2000 . Learning from abroad: The role of policy transfer in contemporary policy-making . dead . Governance . 13 . 1 . 5–24 . 10.1111/0952-1895.00121 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214857/http://ejournal.narotama.ac.id/files/0952-1895%2E00121.pdf . 2016-03-03 . 2013-03-10.
9. Park. C. . Wilding, M. . Chung, C.. The importance of feedback: Policy transfer, translation and the role of communication. Policy Studies. 2014. 35. 4. 397–412 . 10.1080/01442872.2013.875155. 154881128 .
10. Stone. D.. Transfer and Translation of Policy. Policy Studies. 2012. 33. 6. 483–499. 10.1080/01442872.2012.695933. 154487482 .
11. Cook . I. R. . Ward . K. . 2012 . Conferences, informational infrastructures and mobile policies: the process of getting Sweden 'BID ready . European Urban and Regional Studies . 19 . 2. 137–152 . 10.1177/0969776411420029. 154672867 .