Advocacy Coalitions and Punctuated Equilibrium: Creating Socially Just Policy

Background and Purpose:

Historical policy analysis enables social workers to better understand how policy decisions can be viewed in theoretical frameworks. Historical analysis can suggest approaches to promote desired policy change through focused strategies and avoiding potential pitfalls by identify the primary variables and factors to consider in policy change strategies. This paper presents a case analysis of events leading to increased civil and legal rights protections for LGBT citizens in the State of Minnesota during the time period of 1983- 2004. I studied the linkages between municipal proceedings, state level legislative processes and the role of coalition building through the lens of an advocacy coalition framework and the role of ‘iron triangles' (Sabatier & Jenkins-Smith, 1999). I also referenced punctuated equilibrium theory, which suggests how particular events may emphasis a need for policy change. My questions were: how did coalitions promote policy change and did the formation of ‘iron triangles' occur? And did particular events bring the policy issue to the forefront as suggested by punctuated equilibrium theory. My assumption was that the policy changes occurred due to the united effort of the advocacy coalitions and some particular event(s).

Methods:

Historical policy analysis needs to cover an extended time period and both punctuated equilibrium and advocacy coalition theories suggest that policy change is a gradual process, taking over a decade or more. I focused on the time period of 1988-2004. I utilized the Tretter Collection in the Special Collections and Rare Books, Anderson Library at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I also consulted with individuals regarding specific events in my notes and accessed legislative materials on the state government website. The Tretter Collection contains records of meetings and committee proceedings, news releases, news articles, newspapers, personal letters and notes. I applied content analysis and phenomenological methods to interpret the materials and comments. Referring to Howell & Prevenier (2001) I monitored my reflections, viewing materials as documents rather than ‘facts' to maintain objectivity and avoided assigning causality to the events.

Results:

Through this analysis, I concluded that there was an established framework that fit the structure of Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith's (1999) depiction of ‘iron triangles' and coalition building. This framework, supplanted by particular events that ‘punctuated' the timing of the policy change process, was vital to policy change occurring as a ‘bottom up' rather than a ‘top-down' process. Particularly evident was change occurring between 1991-1995, when several variables coincided and overlapped, such that an event seemed to galvanize support within the LGBT community, at the municipal and county level and subsequently at the state legislative level. Specific events were a tragic car crash, the death of a city council member and upcoming elections.

Conclusions and Implications:

This analysis suggests strategic efforts focused on building strong coalitions and capitalizing on events that accentuate a policy issue. Through this framework, social workers can better assist in planned change efforts at all levels of government and community organizing to attain civil and legal rights protections for oppressed populations.