Synonyms
Definition
Causal mechanisms are an explanatory rather than predictive tool used to unpack the “black boxes” defined by empirical generalizations common in policy research. Specifically, mechanisms can be frequently occurring and easily recognizable causal patterns that are triggered under generally unknown conditions and usually with indeterminate consequences. This approach is appropriate for public administration, public policy, and governance research because it is often based on small N between-case and within-case studies. In testing hypotheses associated with causal mechanism, process-tracing methods are often used.
Introduction
Issues of causality are infrequently discussed within the public policy and public management disciplines. Positivism and interpretivism are the two most popular approaches. The underlying notion of causality underpinning positivism is one of simple event regularities; that is, there are...
References
Beach D, Pedersen R (2013) Process-tracing methods: foundations and guidelines. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor
Beach D (2017) Process-Tracing Methods in Social Science. In Oxford Research Encyclopedias of Politics. Oxford University Press. http://politics.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228637-e-176
Biesbroek R, Dupuis J, Wellstead A (2017) Explaining through causal mechanisms: resilience and governance of social-ecological systems. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 28:64–70
Bunge M (1997) Mechanism and explanation. Philos Soc Sci 27:410–465
Charbonneau É, Henderson AC, Ladouceur B, Pichet P (2017) Process tracing in public administration: the implications of practitioner insights for methods of inquiry. Int J Public Adm 40(5):434–442
Falleti TG, Lynch J (2008) From process to mechanism: Varieties of disaggregation. Qual Sociol 31(4):333–339
Hall PA (2013) Tracing the progress of process tracing. Eur Polit Sci 12(1):20–30
Hedström P, Swedberg R (eds) (1998) Social mechanisms: an analytical approach to social theory. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Kay A, Baker P (2015) What can causal process tracing offer to policy studies? A review of the literature. Policy Stud J 43(1):1–21
Machamer P, Darden L, Craver CF (2000) Thinking about mechanisms. Philos Sci 67(1):1–25
Mayer IS, van Daalen CE, Bots PWG (2013) Perspectives on policy analysis: a framework for understanding and design. In: Public policy analysis. Springer US, Boston, pp 41–64
Meyfroidt P, (2016) Approaches and terminology for causal analysis in land systems science. J Land Use Sci 11(5):501–522
McAdam D, Tarrow S, Tilly C (2008) Methods for measuring mechanisms of contention. Qual Sociol 31:307–331
Pawson R, Tilley N (1997) Realistic evaluation. Sage, London
Ragin CC (2014) The comparative method: moving beyond qualitative and quantitative strategies. University of California Press, Oakland
Tilly C (2001) Mechanisms in political processes. Annu Rev Polit Sci 4:21–41
Trampusch C, Palier B (2016) Between X and Y: how process tracing contributes to opening the black box of causality. New Polit Econ 21(5):437–454
Van Evera S (1997) Guide to methods for students of political science. Cornell University Press, Ithaca
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Wellstead, A.M., Cairney, P., Oliver, K. (2018). Policy Mechanisms. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3377-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3377-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Economics and FinanceReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences