The role of ideas in policy processes is rather neglected in most analyses of economic policy
making. This article synthesizes the main concerns of two bodies of literature that, despite their
many differences, both address the process of policy formation: the first is institutional in
character, exploring the way in which state agencies organize political participation; the second
emphasizes the cognitive or symbolic aspects of policy debates. In particular, attention is paid
to the way in which policy making is affected by the interaction of political institutions and
discourse structures. More specifically, the article analyzes how different types of discourse
coalitions shape the prospects for policy change and policy learning.
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