The Role and Impact of the Multiple-Streams Approach in Comparative Policy Analysis

Abstract

John Kingdon’s multiple-streams framework has been widely used since the publication of his book Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies in 1984. The popularity of this agenda-setting framework in comparative policy analysis is especially interesting because the book focused exclusively on the United States. It is not clear, however, that a framework developed exclusively on the basis of the examination of a single, somewhat idiosyncratic national case should be able to generate insights useful in comparative research. This article discusses the nature of the multiple-streams framework and its impact on comparative policy analysis, before outlining its contribution to key debates in the field.