Theories & Theorists for Public Policy & Administration: Public Policy & Administration Theories

Below you will find a list of commonly used Public Policy & Administration theories, as well as two examples of Walden dissertations utilizing each theory. This is not a comprehensive list of theories, only a small selection. Please consult your faculty if you'd like to utilize a different theory. 

You can search for more information on each theory by following the steps outlined in the following Quick Answer:

Quick Answer: How do I find information on a specific theory?

 

Narrative Policy Framework: explains how policy narratives, or the stories that policymakers use to explain issues and policy solutions, shape the policy process and outcomes.

• Jetmir, E. (2024). Media Impacts on 2020 U.S. Election Trump Voters. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.
• Field, J. L. (2024). Tempering Food Insecurities at Community Colleges With Emergency Relief Funds. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.

Policy Feedback Theory: explains how policies can have long-term effects on political institutions, social structures, and individual behavior; posits that policies can create feedback loops that influence future policy decisions and social outcomes.

• Simmons, E. R. (2023). Victim Advocates' Experiences of Challenges and Opportunities in Supporting Children of Homicide Victims. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.
• Johnson, R. D. (2023). Impact of Court Policies and Reentry Program in Reducing Recidivism for Ex-Offenders. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.

Lipsky’s Street Level Bureaucrat Theory: focuses on the role of frontline government workers, or "street-level bureaucrats," in shaping policy outcomes; posits that these frontline workers, who are responsible for implementing policies and interacting with citizens on a daily basis, have significant discretionary power that can influence the success or failure of policy initiatives.

• Jenkins, J. S. (2019). Community Health Workers' Perceptions of Integration into the Behavioral Health Care System. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.
• Mazza, J. D. (2017). The Effect of Rules on Racially-Influenced Policing and Police Uses of Force. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.

Pfeffer & Salancik’s Resource Dependence Theory: explains how organizations depend on external resources and how this dependence can affect their behavior and decision-making; posits that organizations are dependent on resources such as money, information, and technology to survive and succeed.

• Shamroukh, S. R. (2019). Role of Stand-alone Business Entities in Sustaining Newly Established Nonprofit Organizations. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.
• Mushi, A. O. R. (2022). Resource Development for Mission Achievement in Tanzania’s Rural NGOs. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.

Entman’s Conceptualization of Framing Theory: explains how media messages and other forms of communication can influence the way that people think about and interpret events and issues; posits that frames are cognitive structures that provide a way for people to understand complex information and connect it to their existing knowledge and beliefs.

• Allwright, J. J. (2018). Media Framing of Refugees in the United States and Canada. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.

Schneider and Ingram's Theory of Social Construction and Policy Design: highlights the importance of understanding how social constructions, power dynamics, and framing influence the policy process and encourages a more nuanced and contextual understanding of policymaking, moving beyond traditional rational-choice models to consider the broader social and cultural influences on policy outcomes.

• Oketch, A. (2023). Local Leadership Strategies to Mitigate the Effects of the Public Charge Rule and COVID-19 Among Undocumented Immigrants. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.
• Jackson, T. S. (2023). The Social Construction of Performance Enhancing Steroid Policies and Their Impact on U.S. Army Service Members. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.

Advocacy Coalition Framework: emphasizes the role of policy subsystems, coalitions of actors with shared beliefs and interests, and their influence on policy change, and explores how policy actors with different beliefs and preferences interact and compete within the policymaking process.

• Melendrez, T. A. (2023). California School Psychologists’ Advocacy Efforts Related to Contractual Caseloads. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.
• Dayak, A. (2023). Identifying and Examining Key Themes Emanating from the U.S. Legislative Tobacco Policy Subsystem. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.

Public Choice Theory: applies economic principles to the analysis of political decision-making and examines how individuals and groups pursue their self-interest in the political arena, with a focus on the impact on policy outcomes.

• Williams, M. A. (2016). A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management for the United States Virgin Islands. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.
• Metzger, R. E. (2018). Substandard Rental Housing in the Promise Zone of a Mid-Sized U.S. City. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.

Polarities of Democracy: a critical theory perspective of pursuing positive social change by overcoming the forces of institutional oppression and violence (environmental, economic, and militaristic) that threaten the survival of the human species. 

• Calixte-Hallworth, M. (2023). Barriers to Effective Public Secondary Education in Rural Areas in Haiti. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.
• Bohannon, C. (2023). False Advertising and Young Girls’ Self Esteem. Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University.