The purpose of policy portfolios: design, intention, and logic

Abstract

We propose a qualitative method of assessing a policy mix’s content, which can be utilized

alongside currently common quantitative techniques such as counting the number of tools,

policies, and levels of government involved. Focussing on whether or not the mix promotes

flexibility or standardization and whether it is intended to be maintaining or innovating helps

to better map existing policy mixes and inform design decisions than do more contentless

quantitative methods. It has implications for theories of policy-making in improving on

current depictions of the nature and dynamics of policy mixes, especially with respect to the

impact of procedural tools, and also helps underscore the significance of what often appear in

quantitative studies to be marginal or incremental shifts in instruments and goals. The utility

of the model and its improvement on existing methods are illustrated through examination of

two cases of banking regulation and pension policy in Canada.