An emotional perspective on the Multiple Streams Framework

Moshe Maor*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Emotions are central to human behavior and, consequently, play a significant role in policymaking. While the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) incorporates the notion of “public mood” into the political stream, this concept primarily focuses on a fleeting, less intense, and diffuse emotional state that is not necessarily linked to a specific triggering event or policy-related object. To address this limitation, the current article draws on robust findings from political psychology, viewing and interpreting the MSF through an emotional lens. It investigates the intersections between emotions, on the one hand, and the assumptions and structural elements of the MSF, on the other, by sharpening existing concepts—such as the emotional agenda (policy) window, emotional decision window, and emotional policy entrepreneurs—to examine emotionality in policy dynamics. It concludes by discussing how an emotional perspective on the MSF can help scholars generate nuanced hypotheses, overcome the MSF's metaphorical language, and gauge when policy may be in search of a rationale.

Original languageEnglish
JournalPolicy Studies Journal
DOIs
StateAccepted/In press - 2024
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Policy Studies Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Policy Studies Organization.

Keywords

  • emotional agenda window
  • emotional decision window
  • emotional policy entrepreneurs
  • emotions
  • multiple stream framework

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