ABSTRACT

The structure-in-evolution approach has been proposed as a unified model of change in policy and institutional systems but heretofore has not been applied empirically. This article provides a first such application through an empirical case study of social policy development in Denmark, a country often referenced as its model environment. The case is constructed around a historical account of the country’s employment and social policies and institutions, and a systematic analysis of sequences and regularities in their evolution. Evolutionary patterns representing the structure and dynamics of change were identified both in the broader context of welfare policy development and at lower levels of abstraction, adding further support to this unified analysis and providing a valuable alternative to the conventional understandings of change in policy.

摘要

进化中的结构方法已被提出作为政策和制度系统变化的统一模型，但迄今为止尚未在经验上应用。本文通过对丹麦社会政策发展的实证案例研究提供了第一个此类应用，该国家经常被称为模型环境。该案例围绕该国就业和社会政策和制度的历史记录，以及对其演变过程中的顺序和规律进行系统分析而构建。在福利政策制定的更广泛背景下和较低抽象层次上都确定了代表变化结构和动态的进化模式，为这一统一分析提供了进一步的支持，并为对政策变化的传统理解提供了有价值的替代方案。