Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T01:34:50.038Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

State Policy Innovativeness Revisited

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Frederick J. Boehmke*
Affiliation:
University of Iowa, USA
Paul Skinner
Affiliation:
University of Iowa, USA
*
Frederick J. Boehmke, University of Iowa, 341 Schaeffer Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA Email: [email protected]

Abstract

How do the American states vary in their propensity for innovativeness, or their willingness to adopt new policies sooner or later relative to other states? Most studies today use event history analysis (EHA) to focus almost exclusively on one policy area at a time at the expense of a broader understanding of innovativeness as a characteristic of states. To return to the concept of innovativeness more broadly, our study revisits and updates the original approach taken by Walker by updating his average innovation scores with new data covering more than 180 different policies. We use these data to construct a new, dynamic measure of innovativeness that addresses biases and shortcomings in the original measure and we provide measures of uncertainty for both. These new scores build on the logic of EHA to address issues such as right-censoring and to facilitate measuring changes in innovativeness over time. We then compare the two measures of innovativeness and evaluate differences across states, spatial patterns, and changes in innovativeness over time.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anselin, Luc. 1988. Spatial Econometrics: Methods and Models. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumgartner, Frank R., and Jones, Bryan D.. 1993. Agendas and Instability in American Politics. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Beck, Neal, Kristian, S. Gleditsch, and Beardsley, Kyle. 2006. “Space is More Than Geography: Using Spatial Econometrics in the Study of Political Economy.” International Studies Quarterly 50 (1): 2744..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, Frances Stokes, and Berry, William D.. 1990. “State Lottery Adoptions as Policy Innovations: An Event History Analysis.” American Political Science Review 84 (2): 395415..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, Frances Stokes, and Berry, William D.. 2007. “Innovation and Diffusion Models in Policy Research.” In Theories of the Policy Process, 2nd ed., eds. Paul A. Sabatier. Boulder, CO: Westview, 223–60.Google Scholar
Berry, William D., and Baybeck, Brady. 2005. “Using Geographic Information Systems to Study Interstate Competition.” American Political Science Review 99 (04): 505–19..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, William D., Ringquist, Evan J., Fording, Richard C., and Hanson, Russell L.. 1998. “Measuring Citizen and Government Ideology in the American States, 1960-93.” American Journal of Political Science 42 (1): 327–48..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boehmke, Frederick J. 2005a. The Indirect Effect of Direct Legislation: How Institutions Shape Interest Groups Systems. Columbus, OH: The Ohio State University Press.Google Scholar
Boehmke, Frederick J. 2005b. “Sources of Variation in the Frequency of Statewide Initiatives: The Role of Interest Group Populations.” Political Research Quarterly 58 (4): 565.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boehmke, Frederick J. 2009. “Approaches to Modeling the Adoption and Modification of Policies With Multiple Components.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 9 (2): 229–52..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boehmke, Frederick J., and Witmer, Richard. 2004. “Disentangling Diffusion: The Effects of Social Learning and Economic Competition on State Policy Innovation and Expansion.” Political Research Quarterly 57 (1): 39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boushey, Graeme. 2010. Policy Diffusion Dynamics in America. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Canon, Bradley C., and Baum, Lawrence. 1981. “Patterns of Adoption of Tort Law Innovations: An Application of Diffusion Theory to Judicial Doctrines.” American Political Science Review 75 (4): 975–87..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erikson, Robert S., Pablo, , Pinto, M., and Rader, Kelly T.. 2010. “Randomization Tests and Multi-Level Data in US State Politics.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 10 (2): 180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eyestone, Robert. 1977. “Confusion, Diffusion, and Innovation.” American Political Science Review 71 (2): 441–7..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fell, David R., Eric, , Hansen, N., and Becker, Boris W.. 2003. “Measuring Innovativeness for the Adoption of Industrial Products.” Industrial Marketing Management 32 (4): 347–53..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fisher, Ronald A. 1935. The Design of Experiments. Oliver and Boyd: Edinburgh, London.Google Scholar
Franzese, Robert J., and Hays, Jude C.. 2007. “Spatial EconometricModels of Cross-Sectional Interdependence in Political Science Panel and Time-Series-Cross-Section Data.” Political Analysis 15 (2): 140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gerber, Elisabeth R. 1996. “Legislative Response to the Threat of Popular Initiatives.” American Journal of Political Science 40 (1): 99128..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graham, Erin, Charles, R. Shipan, and Volden, Craig. 2008. “The Diffusion of Policy Diffusion Research.” Working paper, The Ohio State University and The University of Michigan.Google Scholar
Gray, Virgina. 1973a. “Innovation in the States: A Diffusion Study.” American Political Science Review 67 (4): 1174–85..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, Virginia. 1973b. “Rejoinder to ‘Comment’ by Jack L. Walker.” American Political Science Review 67 (4): 1192–3..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grossback, Lawrence J., Nicholson-Crotty, Sean, and Peterson, David A. M.. 2004. “Ideology and Learning in Policy Diffusion.” American Politics Research 32 (5): 521–45..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karch, Andrew. 2007a. Democratic Laboratories: Policy Diffusion Among the American States. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karch, Andrew. 2007b. “Emerging Issues and Future Directions in State Policy Diffusion Research.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 7 (1): 54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, James D. 2000. “Changes in Professionalism in US State Legislatures.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 25 (2): 327–43..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kingdon, John W. 1995. Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies. 2nd ed. New York: HarperCollins College Publishers.Google Scholar
Lutz, James M. 1987. “Regional Leadership Patterns in the Diffusion of Public Policies.” American Politics Research 15 (3): 387.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
May, Peter J. 1992. “Policy Learning and Failure.” Journal of Public Policy 12 (04): 331–54..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mintrom, Michael, and Vergari, Sandra. 1998. “Policy Networks and Innovation Diffusion: The Case of State Education Reforms.” Journal of Politics 60 (1): 126–48..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mooney, Christopher Z. 2001. “Modeling Regional Effects on State Policy Diffusion.” Political Research Quarterly 54 (1): 103–24..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mooney, Christopher Z., and Lee, Mei-Hsien. 1995. “Legislative Morality in the American States: The Case of Pre-Roe Abortion Regulation Reform.” American Journal of Political Science 39 (3): 599627..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moran, Patrick A. P. 1950. “Notes on Continuous Stochastic Phenomena.” Biometrika 37 (1–2): 17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nicholson-Crotty, Sean. 2009. “The Politics of Diffusion: Public Policy in the American States.” The Journal of Politics 71 (1): 192205..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rincke, Johannes. 2007. “Policy Diffusion in Space and Time: The Case of Charter Schools in California School Districts.” Regional Science & Urban Economics 37 (5): 526–41..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robertson, Thomas. S. 1971. Innovative Behavior and Communication. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.Google Scholar
Rogers, Everett. 1962. Diffusion of Innovation. 1st ed. New York City: Free Press.Google Scholar
Rosenbaum, Paul R. 2002. Observational Studies. 2nd ed. New York City: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Savage, Robert L. 1978. “Policy Innovativeness as a Trait of American States.” The Journal of Politics 40 (1): 212–24..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Savage, Robert L. 1985. “Diffusion Research Traditions and the Spread of Policy Innovations in a Federal System.” Publius: The Journal of Federalism 15 (4): 1.Google Scholar
Schmidt, Peter, and Witte, Ann Dryden. 1989. “Predicting Criminal Recidivism Using 'Split Population Survival Time Models.” Journal of Econometrics 40 (1): 141–59..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shipan, Charles R., and Volden, Craig. 2006. “Bottom-Up Federalism: The Diffusion of Antismoking Policies from US Cities to States.” American Journal of Political Science 50 (4): 825–43..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Volden, Craig. 2006. “States as Policy Laboratories: Emulating Success in the Children's Health Insurance Program.” American Journal of Political Science 50 (2): 294312..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, Jack L. 1969. “The Diffusion of Innovations Among the American States.” American Political Science Review 63 (3): 880–99..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, Jack L. 1973. “Comment (on Gray).” American Political Science Review 67 (4): 1186–91..Google Scholar
Welch, Susan, and Thompson, Kay. 1980. “The Impact of Federal Incentives on State Policy Innovation.” American Journal of Political Science 24 (4): 715–29..CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Boehmke and Skinner supplementary material

Dataverse Files

Download Boehmke and Skinner supplementary material(File)
File 7.6 MB