Since the introduction of the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) as a public policy framework in the 1980s, much ACF literature has tried to develop policy-process theories by demonstrating how policy-network approaches can be combined with policy-process theories and by reviewing how group dynamics can influence policy outcomes. However, the limitations of previous ACF literature demand the need for this study to develop some conceptual steps for moving beyond the previous ACF approaches to produce better policy-process theories. This study focuses on three issues: (1) unit of analysis, (2) collective action in developing policy-process theories, and (3) the role of macro-level factors in applying policy-process theories to various cultural configurations.

Campaigns against risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) caused by smoking and obesity have become increasingly common on multiple levels of government, from the local to the international. Non-governmental actors have cooperated with government bodies to make policies. By analysing the policies of the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the European Union, and the United Kingdom and United States governments, we identify how the struggles between public health advocates and commercial interests reached the global level, and how the relatively successful fight to ‘denormalize’ tobacco consumption has become a model for anti-obesity advocates. It highlights three factors important in policy change: framing the policy problem, the policymaking environment and ‘windows of opportunity’—to analyse the struggle between ‘harm regulation’ and ‘neoprohibition’ approaches to an international obesity prevention regime.

This study aims to compare two Swedish Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGO:s) in relationship to their international establishment, for the purpose to gain a more nuanced knowledge of how they operate to achieve their goals, and a better understanding of the challenges and benefits the different international establishments can bring. We interviewed two ENGO:s, Naturskyddsföreningen and Jordens Vänner, on the basis of two main issues:- How can work to influence environmental policy differ between a Swedish ENGO and an international ENGO operating in Sweden?- What are the challenges and benefits of influencing Swedish environmental policy for ENGO:s in Sweden that are different internationally established?This study used the method of Most Similar System Design to answer the main issues in the selection of cases, and further a semi-structured interview was used to collect empirical data. The main theory to analyse the data drew from Beyers (2004) conceptualisation of mobilization strategies in from of access and voice.The empirical study shows that the difference in international establishments indeed brings both challenges and advantages to the ENGO:s operationalization. The Swedish established Naturskyddsföreningen could engage in a more local matter, were they influenced both members to be more active and local politicians and political decision-makers. But the inefficient way to combine both access and voice proved to be a challenge in articulating certain core issues. The international established Jordens Vänner showed a different way of conducting environmental policy, by using their international networks as a way of influencing the policy process. But restrains from their internationally management proved limit the space and possibility to operate.Keywords: NGO, ENGO, environmental governance, policy process, mobilization strategies, institutional actors, local engagement, networks

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Policy conflict plays an important role in shaping public policy—both as a process and as a product. The policy conflict framework—a theoretical framework, developed by Christopher Weible and Tanya Heikkila in 2017—considers position divergence among policymakers a key characteristic of policy conflict, which can be affected several factors including organizational and network affiliation of policymakers. This dissertation analyzes position divergence among local and regional officials over community sustainability policy, with a focus on affordable housing, which is a major concern of community sustainability. This research examines if, and how, local government officials' engagement with regional governance can play a role in shaping their policy positions. Understanding what influences officials' policy positions is essential in managing conflicts that arise in the making of sustainability policies in general and affordable housing policies, in particular. This study argues that local government officials' engagement with regional governance can lower policy position divergence among them by influencing their policy core beliefs and policy relevant knowledge. This analysis includes testing several hypotheses using data from a state-wide survey of local and regional policymakers. Employing cross-tabulation, multivariate regression, and ordered logit analysis, this study finds that (a) policymakers share a wide range of policy positions on community sustainability policies and (b) for local government officials engaged with regional governance, position divergence on community sustainability is lower than that among those who are not engaged with regional governance. Although position divergence on affordable housing among those engaged with regional governance is generally lower than those who are not engaged with regional governance, this finding is not robust. In some regions and localities, the relationship between position divergence and engagement with regional governance does not hold. Furthermore, this study finds that local government officials' engagement with regional governance is associated with higher levels of policy relevant knowledge, which can influence the policymakers' policy positions. The relationship, if any, between policymakers' core beliefs and their engagement with regional governance is weak and statistically insignificant. This cross-sectional analysis based on limited data suggests that local government officials' policy core beliefs are not related to their engagement with regional governance. However, future studies with better data may yield different results. / Doctor of Philosophy / Policy conflicts can impede the policymaking process; they usually influence and shape policy goals. Metropolitan governance is rife with policy conflicts. Especially in substantive policy areas such as community sustainability and affordable housing, policy conflicts are quite common. Policy conflicts emerge because of policy actors' divergent views, beliefs, priorities, preferences, and aspirations. To ensure a smoother policymaking process, mechanisms to handle conflicts are imperative. Regional governance can offer one such mechanism to handle policy conflicts that arise due to divergent policy positions of local government officials. This dissertation examines policy conflicts focusing on community sustainability policies. Analyzing survey data from Maryland, this study finds that (a) local government officials share a wide range of policy positions on community sustainability policies, (b) local government officials engaged with regional governance take policy positions that are more homogeneous compared to those who are not engaged with regional governance, and (c) officials engaged regional governance tend to have better policy relevant knowledge than others.

No description available.

This study of the adoption and diffusion of paid sick leave laws in New Jersey has been designed to examine the spread of the policy between local governments and then the subsequent adoption of the policy by the state. In New Jersey, PSL was first adopted by Jersey City in 2013. Following that adoption, 12 other New Jersey municipalities adopted PSL. In 2018, a law was passed by the state that then voided all the municipal laws and replaced them with a statewide policy. Through a mixed methods research design, this study seeks to better understand the circumstances surrounding PSL. First, a logistic regression model was used to determine the characteristics that are associated with PSL adoption on the local level. Second, case studies were conducted for three adopting cities, Jersey City, Newark, and Morristown to better understand the political forces that facilitated the adoption and diffusion of PSL. Lastly, this study examined the adoption of PSL on the state level to better understand how the actions of governments on the local level affected the actions of the state government. The logistic regression found that large cities, cities with a higher percentage of minorities, cities with a mayor-council form of government, and cities with a higher Gini coefficient were more likely to adopt PSL. In contrast to the findings of the logistic regression, the case studies revealed that the cities that adopted PSL were heavily Democratic and elected officials identified progressiveness as a motivator for adopting this policy. This research used qualitative methods to evaluate how policy diffusion occurred and who facilitated this process. Through interviews, this research revealed the influence of policy advocates in helping to spread PSL to many New Jersey municipalities. An advocacy coalition named New Jersey Time to Care pursued what they termed the municipal approach. The political dynamics in the New Jersey state government prevented a statewide law from being adopted. Given this fact, the coalition pursued multiple municipal laws in order to help New Jerseyans receive paid sick leave benefits and to help build momentum for a statewide law when a change in political dynamics would allow for it. / Doctor of Philosophy / In recent years, many state and local governments have adopted paid sick leave laws. These laws require private businesses to allow their employees to earn and utilize paid sick days. This dissertation examines the jurisdictions in New Jersey that have adopted paid sick leave. It finds that large cities with a high percentage of minorities, a high level of income inequality, and a mayor-council form of government are more likely to adopt paid sick leave laws. This research also examines how advocacy groups influence elected officials in the policymaking process. Policy advocates built public support for the law and engaged in lobbying activities with elected officials. As they lobbied for the law, they presented city councils pre-drafted legislation that was then adopted by the city councils.

Quality assurance is increasingly becoming an important aspect of higher education institutions in developing countries, as expressed in the development of relevant policies, structures and systems at national and institutional levels. This thesis critically examines the nature of quality assurance policies and practices in selected universities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as the factors that shape these policies. Through a close examination of these policies and practices, the thesis explains why some universities realise better quality than others, even though they fall within the same geographical region and share relatively similar historical legacies. Although this study was largely qualitative, it did not preclude quantitative dimensions. Integrating the two approaches made it possible not only to triangulate data, but also to engage in multidimensional analysis of some of the phenomena under investigation. While debates in the literature locate quality assurance within internal and external discourses, this does not sufficiently explain the tensions that were observed amongst the various stakeholders within institutions, especially between management and academic staff. The manner in which institutional policies were developed, the role academic staff played in the process, and the reporting lines associated with institutional quality assurance arrangements, are reflected in staff perceptions on whether or not they regarded the policies as internal to the academic community and the extent to which they own the policies. The main contribution of this thesis to debates on quality assurance is its revelation of the complexities that arise in institutional policy making as a result of the highly differentiated nature of the academy. This aspect points at the need for institutions to pay particular care in adopting most appropriate strategies that privilege the organic development of policies within institutions. On the whole, institutions were mainly preoccupied with developing quality assurance policies and systems that are comparable to international standards, hence the heavy reliance on external/international expertise in doing so. Whilst this is not necessarily a iii bad thing, the quality assurance systems that were developed did not take into account the contextual peculiarities of the studied institutions. A direct consequence of this was the development of policies and mechanisms that are more concerned with standardisation of procedures than with enhancement of academic practice. Such quality assurance systems have not resulted in the self-improvement of institutions. The establishment of quality assurance policies and the putting in place of structures and procedures are necessary but not sufficient conditions for enhancing academic practice in universities.

<p>Tobaksrökning är ett allvarligt hot mot en god folkhälsa i det västerländska samhället. Gällande tobakssnusning är forskningen dock inte enig. Världshälsoorganisationen anser att tobaksprevention ska innefatta policybeslutande samtidigt som Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting rekommenderar kommuner att arbeta strategiskt för att uppnå tobaksrökfrihet bland deras anställda. I Sverige har 67 kommuner antagit policyn Tobaksfri arbetstid. I detta examensarbete har intervjuer genomförts med politiker och tobakspreventivt ansvariga tjänstemän i tre kommuner i Västmanlands län som har påbörjat en arbetsprocess med policyn Tobaksfri arbetstid. Syftet var att undersöka deras uppfattningar om kommunens arbetsprocess med policyn. Genom en innehållsanalys strukturerades och tolkades intervjuerna. Resultatet visade att en av kommunerna har antagit ett förvaltningsmål, och inte en kommunövergripande policy om tobaksrökfri arbetstid och två kommuner har påbörjat en arbetsprocess för att i framtiden anta policyn. Samtliga kommuner hade påbörjat en arbetsprocess med policyn då tobaksrökning upplevdes som ett problem. Somliga ansåg däremot att tobakssnusning möjligtvis kunde inkluderas i ett senare skede. Ingen ansåg att SKL:s rekommendationer har påverkat att de påbörjade en arbetsprocess. Det var samstämmighet både mellan kommunerna och med tidigare forskning, om att politiskt stöd, involverande av anställda, tydlig planering och kombination med avvänjningsstöd är centrala faktorer i den fortsatta arbetsprocessen med policyn.</p> / <p>Tobacco smoking and possibly using smokeless tobacco risk decreasing the public health. The World Health Organization considers that tobacco preventive work shall include policy decisions. Sweden's municipalities and county council (SKL) argue that municipalities shall adopt a tobacco policy for their employees. SKL also recommends municipalities to work in order to become totally smoke free workplaces. Around 70 municipalities in Sweden have adopted the policy Tobacco free working hours and some of these have included smokeless tobacco. In this work interviews with politicians and officials responsible for the tobacco preventive work were accomplished in three municipalities in the county of Västmanland. The aim of the work was to examine their views about the municipalities work process with the policy. The interviews were structured and interpreted by a content analysis. The result showed that one of the municipalities has adopted an administrative aim and not a policy about smoke free working hours, while two of the municipalities have started a work process in order to adopt a policy in the future. All municipalities had started a work process because they found tobacco smoking to be a problem. Some considered that smokeless tobacco perhaps should be included in the policy in a later stage. No one considered that SKL's recommendations had been an influence to why they started a work process with the policy. The communities agreed with each other that political support, involving of employees, clear planning and supporting employees to quit smoking are fundamental factors in the continuing work process with the policy. This also corresponds to recent research.</p>

Tobaksrökning är ett allvarligt hot mot en god folkhälsa i det västerländska samhället. Gällande tobakssnusning är forskningen dock inte enig. Världshälsoorganisationen anser att tobaksprevention ska innefatta policybeslutande samtidigt som Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting rekommenderar kommuner att arbeta strategiskt för att uppnå tobaksrökfrihet bland deras anställda. I Sverige har 67 kommuner antagit policyn Tobaksfri arbetstid. I detta examensarbete har intervjuer genomförts med politiker och tobakspreventivt ansvariga tjänstemän i tre kommuner i Västmanlands län som har påbörjat en arbetsprocess med policyn Tobaksfri arbetstid. Syftet var att undersöka deras uppfattningar om kommunens arbetsprocess med policyn. Genom en innehållsanalys strukturerades och tolkades intervjuerna. Resultatet visade att en av kommunerna har antagit ett förvaltningsmål, och inte en kommunövergripande policy om tobaksrökfri arbetstid och två kommuner har påbörjat en arbetsprocess för att i framtiden anta policyn. Samtliga kommuner hade påbörjat en arbetsprocess med policyn då tobaksrökning upplevdes som ett problem. Somliga ansåg däremot att tobakssnusning möjligtvis kunde inkluderas i ett senare skede. Ingen ansåg att SKL:s rekommendationer har påverkat att de påbörjade en arbetsprocess. Det var samstämmighet både mellan kommunerna och med tidigare forskning, om att politiskt stöd, involverande av anställda, tydlig planering och kombination med avvänjningsstöd är centrala faktorer i den fortsatta arbetsprocessen med policyn. / Tobacco smoking and possibly using smokeless tobacco risk decreasing the public health. The World Health Organization considers that tobacco preventive work shall include policy decisions. Sweden's municipalities and county council (SKL) argue that municipalities shall adopt a tobacco policy for their employees. SKL also recommends municipalities to work in order to become totally smoke free workplaces. Around 70 municipalities in Sweden have adopted the policy Tobacco free working hours and some of these have included smokeless tobacco. In this work interviews with politicians and officials responsible for the tobacco preventive work were accomplished in three municipalities in the county of Västmanland. The aim of the work was to examine their views about the municipalities work process with the policy. The interviews were structured and interpreted by a content analysis. The result showed that one of the municipalities has adopted an administrative aim and not a policy about smoke free working hours, while two of the municipalities have started a work process in order to adopt a policy in the future. All municipalities had started a work process because they found tobacco smoking to be a problem. Some considered that smokeless tobacco perhaps should be included in the policy in a later stage. No one considered that SKL's recommendations had been an influence to why they started a work process with the policy. The communities agreed with each other that political support, involving of employees, clear planning and supporting employees to quit smoking are fundamental factors in the continuing work process with the policy. This also corresponds to recent research.