Vertical Diffusion and the Policy-Making Process

• Author: Andrew Karch
• DOI: 10.1177/1065912910385252
• Published date: 01 March 2012
• Date: 01 March 2012
• Subject Matter: Articles

Political Research Quarterly

65(1) 48 –61

© 2012 University of Utah

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DOI: 10.1177/1065912910385252

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Vertical Diffusion and the

Policy-Making Process: The Politics

of Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Andrew Karch1

Abstract

This article examines the influence of national government activity on the politics of embryonic stem cell research in

the American states. Its analysis of bill introduction patterns between 1999 and 2008 suggests that President Bush’s

nationally televised address on stem cell research and the debate over the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act

increased the probability that officials in a state would introduce stem-cell-related legislation in a given year. National

activity also seemed to increase the number of bills that legislators introduced. These results illustrate how political

forces can increase the salience of public policies and thereby serve as diffusion mechanisms during the agenda-setting

process.

Keywords

policy diffusion, agenda setting, federalism, state politics, stem cell research

In a political setting, diffusion implies a process of learn-

ing or emulation during which decision makers look to

other cities, states, or countries as models to be followed

or avoided. It occurs when extant versions of a public

policy affect the likelihood that it will be adopted in other

jurisdictions. Diffusion seems especially important dur-

ing an era of rapid technological change and instantaneous

communication because of the way that these forces link

the citizens and countries of the world.

The diffusion process has received heightened interest

from political scientists in recent years. This article builds

on two insights produced by this recent research. One

promising development is an emerging focus on political

forces that operate in multiple jurisdictions. Their geo-

graphic reach makes them capable of transporting politi-

cal forms and public policies across jurisdictional lines,

thereby representing a causal mechanism that can facili-

tate the diffusion process. Understanding which causal

mechanism sparks diffusion can help scholars understand

why some policies spread widely and others are confined

to a limited number of jurisdictions.

A second promising development on which this article

builds is the heightened attention that has been paid to the

impact of these causal mechanisms at various stages of the

policy-making process. Historically, diffusion research has

emphasized the adoption decision. This approach says

little about the political processes through which officials

become aware of new ideas, gather information about them,

and amend them. Failure to adopt a policy innovation does

not necessarily imply a lack of awareness. Officials might

have considered the policy as a potential option. Examin-

ing outcomes in addition to the adoption decision enables

scholars to focus more intently on diffusion mechanisms

and the individuals who ultimately make the decisions in

which we are interested.

Building on recent studies of diffusion mechanisms

and their impact at different stages of policy making, this

article examines the politics of embryonic stem cell re-

search in the American states. The mechanism on which

it focuses is national government intervention. The

national government has a variety of tools at its disposal

through which it can facilitate or impede diffusion. This

article examines the potential influence of national gov-

ernment intervention during the agenda-setting process.

Lawmakers have an almost unlimited array of policy

choices, and the agenda-setting process determines which

ones they consider (Kingdon 1995, 3). Achieving agenda

status is therefore a crucial component of diffusion. The

present analysis suggests that national controversies, even

if unres olved, can increase the political salience of public

1University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Corresponding Author:

Andrew Karch, Department of Political Science, 1414 Social Sciences

Building, 267 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455

Email: ajkarch@umn.edu