Discursive Policy Analysis

Maarten Hajer and Wytske Versteeg

Discursive policy analysis focuses on discussion or debate as the main object of scrutiny. Originally, the word discourse was derived from the Latin noun discursus , which means “running to and fro.” It is this dynamic aspect that we still find in discursive policy analysis, which often concerns itself with the development of meaning. How do specific meanings evolve during the policy process? Why do certain terms pop up more often? Can we see how coalitions are organized around these terms? Why does a policy process move first this way, then that way? This entry first gives a short overview of the various meanings associated with the term discursive policy analysis , then elaborates on the relationship between discourse and practice and language and power, and ends with a short note on the normative or prescriptive potential of discursive policy analysis. The discursive analyst takes discussion as the object of ...

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