Introduction: The State and Public Policy After the Neoliberal Wave—Instruments and Governance Dynamics

Capano, G; Zito, AR; Toth, F; Rayner, J

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-07457-8_1

Introduction: The State and Public Policy After the Neoliberal Wave—Instruments and Governance Dynamics

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Anthony Zito

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Abstract

© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG. This chapter serves as the introductory chapter of the book, raising questions about how states in Western Democracies have evolved under the impact of neoliberal ideas. It notes how both proponents and other academic observers have viewed the role of neoliberalism and changes in State governance; it stresses the lack of comparative analysis of different policy sectors. Situating the book in the governance literature, the chapter then explains how policy instruments serve as the key unit of analysis for our study, allowing us to examine how State governance has changed in the last 50 years. Having established the research question and overall aims of the book, we explore how the academic literature defines and classifies policy instruments, contextualizing our approach. The chapter next unpacks the analytical argument of the book in four stages. First, it explains several concepts of convergence that the book uses to evaluate how similar are the trajectories in which the countries have evolved their governance approach. Second, we unpack the importance of understanding temporal sequences and critical junctures in assessing the governance developments in each country. Third, the chapter lays out the institutional, political and ideational factors (as well as contextual factors) that we use to explain governance change. Fourth, we present our comparative research design and rationale for choosing our four policy sectors and six countries. Finally, it outlines the other chapters in the book.