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Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches to Implementation Research: A Critical Analysis and Suggested Synthesis

Item

Title

Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches to Implementation Research: A Critical Analysis and Suggested Synthesis

Abstract/Description

This paper first reviews the implementation literature of the past fifteen years, with particular emphasis on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approaches. It also argues that the 4–6 year time-frame used in most implementation research misses many critical features of public policy-making. The paper then outlines a conceptual framework for examining policy change over a 10–20 year period which combines the best features of the ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approaches with insights from other literatures.

Author/creator

Date

In publication

Volume

6

Issue

1

Pages

21-48

Resource type

Background/Context

Medium

Print

Background/context type

Other

Open access/free-text available

No

Peer reviewed

Yes

ISSN

1469-7815, 0143-814X

Citation

Sabatier, P. A. (1986). Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches to Implementation Research: A Critical Analysis and Suggested Synthesis. Journal of Public Policy, 6(1), 21–48. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0143814X00003846

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