Policy Implementation Analysis
Policy implementation analysis studies what happens between the moment a policy is decided and the moment it reaches its intended effect, asking why outcomes so often fall short of stated objectives. The field was founded by Jeffrey Pressman and Aaron Wildavsky's 1973 study of a federal employment program in Oakland, which showed how a long chain of required agreements and clearances steadily eroded great expectations. The method traces the implementation chain — the actors, decision points and conditions through which a policy must pass — to locate where and why it succeeds or fails. Its central object is the implementation gap between policy as legislated and policy as delivered.
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Sources
- Pressman, J. L., & Wildavsky, A. (1973). Implementation: How Great Expectations in Washington Are Dashed in Oakland. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN: 9780520053311
- Mazmanian, D. A., & Sabatier, P. A. (1983). Implementation and Public Policy. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman. ISBN: 9780819133663
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 22). Policy Implementation Analysis of the Policy-to-Practice Gap. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/public-administration/policy-implementation-analysis
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