CONTENTS Part 1 Introduction 1 The Need for Better Theories / Paul A. Sabatier ... 3 2 The Stages Approach to the Policy Process : What Has It Done? Where Is It Going? / Peter deLeon ... 19 Part 2 Alternative Views of the Role of Rationality in the Policy Process 3 Institutional Rational Choice : An Assessment of the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework / Elinor Ostrom ... 35 4 Ambiguity, Time, and Multiple Streams / Nikolaos Zahariadis ... 73 Part 3 Frameworks Focusing on Policy Change over Fairly Long Periods 5 Punctuated-Equilibrium Theory : Explaning Stability and Change in American Policymaking / James L. True ; Bryan D. Jones ; Frank R. Baumgar ... 97 6 The Advocacy Coalition Framework : An Assessment / Paul A. Sabatier ; Hank C. Jenkins-Smith ... 117 Part 4 Frameworks Comparing Policies Across a Large Number of Political Systems 7 Innovation and Diffusion Models in Policy Research / Frances Stokes Berry ; William D. Berry ... 169 8 The Policy Process and Large-N Comparative Studies / William Blomquist ... 201 Part 5 Conclusion 9 A Comparison of Frameworks, Theories, and Models of Policy Processes / Edella Schlager ... 233 10 Fostering the Development of Policy Theory / Paul A. Sabatier ... 261 About the Editor and Contributors ... 277 Index ... 279