Learning Lessons and Transferring Policy across Time, Space and Disciplines

TLDR

Policy transfer, the use of policy knowledge across time or space, has become a growing focus in International Relations and Comparative Politics amid globalization, with governments and international organisations actively promoting harmonisation and convergence. The study surveys the emerging policy‑transfer literature, highlights methodological challenges, and proposes new research directions. The authors conduct a literature review, critically assess methodological gaps, and map potential avenues for future investigation.

Abstract

An area of recent interest in the International Relations and Comparative Politics literature concerns ‘policy transfer’. This is a dynamic whereby knowledge about policies, administrative arrangements or institutions is used across time or space in the development of policies, administrative arrangements and institutions elsewhere. Policy transfer is deemed to be on the increase in an era of globalisation. Indeed, some governments and international organisations are proactive in promoting harmonisation and convergence or exporting policy lessons. This paper surveys the state of the burgeoning literature, identifies some methodological issues in studying policy transfer, and outlines some additional routes of research.