Narrative plots for regulatory, distributive, and redistributive policies

Abstract

The Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) has ignited a remarkably active research community, one of its main contributions being distinct narrative elements—including settings, characters, and plots. Yet, while the plot constitutes a core element of narrativity, it has received less attention vis-à-vis other narrative components. Existing classifications of plots have been proven to possess a great ability to capture “universal” policy stories, but not the specific variations of different types of policies. This article presents a typology of plots by linking their universal and policy-specific themes, thereby theorizing from Lowi's seminal typology of regulatory, distributive, and redistributive policies. Empirically, it focuses on the political communication of Germany's policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Policy narratives were mined from Twitter and from governmental press conferences (March–June 2020). The qualitative NPF analysis demonstrates that the identified plots—restricting-to-control, liberating-to-promote, providing-to-promote, giving-to-give, and giving-to-promote—can grasp different regulatory, distributive, and redistributive policies as well as their variety.