Re-invention, a term coined by communications scholar Everett Rogers, refers to purposeful changes made to an innovation by subsequent adopters as the innovation diffuses. In an analysis of the content of four innovative state policies, I elaborate on Rogers' findings to demonstrate that these purposeful changes are cumulative as later adopting states take into consideration the successes and failures of previous adoptions through a social learning process. Cumulative re-invention refers to cumulative changes which build on the previously adopted policy making it either more expansive or possibly more restrictive over time. A content analytic technique is developed to measure the effects of re-invention and cumulative re-invention on the diffusion of these four policy innovations as originally adopted in the states during the last three decades. The policies analyzed are living will laws, crime victim compensation laws, child abuse reporting laws, and public campaign funding laws. Three of these policy innovations evolve during diffusion to become more expansive over time and the fourth policy becomes more restrictive over time. An analysis of the specific provisions of each law shows that some provisions may become more restrictive while others become more expansive. Finally, analysis of the current laws as amended demonstrates little relationship among the laws and the date they were originally adopted, suggesting that earlier adopters re-invent their legislative policies through amendment. The results challenge traditional models of innovation, which suggest that the earliest adopters are the most "innovative", and cast doubt on the status of later adopting states as "laggards" or "followers." / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-05, Section: A, page: 1877. / Major Professor: Henry Glick. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76405 |
| Contributors | Hays, Scott Page., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 261 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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