Reforms that Stick

The Politics of Preservation

Successful Public Governance series

Joannah Luetjens, Research and Data Adviser, Advocacy for Inclusion, Canberra, Australia

This incisive book examines how and why some major policy reforms endure while others fail to gain traction and embed themselves. Tracing the development of key policy reforms over time, it offers original insight into how to create and embed positive changes that continue to deliver over the long term.

‘Through well-argued theorisation and closely wrought case studies, Joannah Luetjens shows that what looks like policy stability is typically the result of ongoing adaptive efforts. Support for policy innovations can never end with legislative adoption and implementation. Supporters must continually take calibrated actions to keep policies going in light of changing contextual conditions. This book is a marvel. The insights it contains will inform policy research for decades to come.’
– Michael Mintrom, Monash University, Australia

‘Reforms that Stick is a splendid book. Leveraging well-researched case studies of key policy areas and systematic empirical analysis, Joannah Luetjens generates fresh insights into the conditions associated with reform endurance, consolidation, and erosion in parliamentary democracies. By exploring the interactions among political parties, administrative actors, interest groups, and mass publics, the book helps us better understand why some reforms last and why others unravel after the moment of enactment. Essential reading for scholars and practitioners of public policy.’
– Eric M. Patashnik, Brown University, US and author of Reforms at Risk