Policy Diffusion through Institutional Legitimation: State Lotteries

Abstract

This study uses institutional theories of organization to address the adoption and diffusion of public policy. This article assesses the degree that a policy conforms to culture in an adopting jurisdiction in order to gauge its legitimacy. There is strong evidence that state lotteries became legitimized during their diffusion because several cultural indicators reflecting both state government and the voters within each state changed over time in their ability to predict adoption. Supplementary analysis of public lottery support across time also sustains a legitimation interpretation.