Qualitative Comparative Analysis and the Study of Policy Processes

Fischer, Manuel; Maggetti, Martino (2016). Qualitative Comparative Analysis and the Study of Policy Processes. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 19(4), pp. 345-361. Routledge 10.1080/13876988.2016.1149281

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Given the increasing popularity of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) for the study of public policy and policy processes, this article offers a review of two key issues: multiple configurational causality and temporality. On the one hand, the study of multiple configurational causal relations allows researchers to deal with the extremely complex set of elements that interact in policy processes. However, this task poses the challenge of balancing deductive and inductive logics in a research design. On the other hand, policy process theories often involve temporal arguments, but QCA does not easily deal with dynamic elements. This article discusses these challenges and proposes several ways to address them. It thereby illustrates the advantages and limitations of QCA for students of policy processes.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	03 Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences > Other Institutions > Teaching Staff, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences 03 Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Institute of Political Science
UniBE Contributor:	Fischer, Manuel (B)
Subjects:	300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 320 Political science
ISSN:	1572-5448
Publisher:	Routledge
Language:	English
Submitter:	Manuel Fischer
Date Deposited:	19 Sep 2016 15:50
Last Modified:	29 Mar 2023 23:35
Publisher DOI:	10.1080/13876988.2016.1149281
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/87773