The Spread of Symbolic Policies: Juneteenth,Interests,and Representation in the U.S. States

Abstract

Decades of policy diffusion research support the notion that governments’ policy adoptions are conditional on other governments’ policy choices. However, the theory of policy diffusion has only been tested on substantive rather than symbolic policies. This is surprising because ceremonial bills and resolutions can comprise a sizable portion of legislation proposed and passed by national and subnational governments. We leverage the spread of Juneteenth commemorative policies across the U.S. states since 1980 to exploit this central theory of policy change. Relying on the emulation mechanism, we find that states face external normative and social pressures to commemorate Juneteenth and mimic prior adopters’ policy choices, particularly their ideological peers. States’ internal contexts also matter. States’ civil rights groups and racial environments explain how states memorialize Juneteenth. Further, Black political representation moderates the negative impact of racial resentment on enacting these measures. This research holds significant implications for the study of policy diffusion, minority politics, legislative processes, and political representation.