Elkins et. al.: On Waves, Clusters and Diffusion

Elkins, Zachary, & Simmons, Beth. (2005). "On Waves, Clusters, and Diffusion: A Conceptual Framework". Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 598, 33-51.

This article begins by making a distinction between diffusion in general, and specific instances where the term may not be applicable. For example if reform, “…lacks an exchange of some sort between actors, it is not diffusion as scholars have come to use the term” (32).

Clustering of idea diffusion is a characteristic of policy reform. One reason that it happens at a similar, yet independent streak, is because countries have similar domestic constraints and structures to that they are responding. Another reason is coordination: this can occur through epistemic communities, or through more explicitly vertical or horizontal arrangements. Another reason may combine aspects of the first two: “…governments are independent in the sense that they make their own decisions without cooperation or coercion but interdependent in the sense that they factor in the choices of other governments. In other words, uncoordinated interdependence” (35).

The next section of the articles wonders whether or not the concept of diffusion should be thought of as an independent or a dependent variable.

The drivers of diffusion are then examined, with three conditions of/for diffusion explored: cultural norms, support groups and competition (39). Then, different forms of learning are identified. The goal of this article was to present a set of terms and a framework for further empirical research.