1. Lowi & Wilson Policy Typologies
PUB/POS 340
11/06/07
Types of policies
Why are we concerned with policy types anyway?
Because they help us to understand when there is likely to be more conflict over the adoption, enactment, and implementation of policies
There are three basic ways to think about policy types
Substantive versus procedural policies (Anderson
Theodore Lowi’s four part scheme
Anderson’s Macro/Micro politics (synthesizes Lowi)
James Q Wilson’s distributed costs and benefits
Distributive and Regulatory
Distributive
Generally individualized decisions
Low levels of conflict
Lots of logrolling
Hard to find actual “losers”
Examples: water projects
Regulatory
Conflict between groups or coalitions of groups
Tends to be rather more open
Visible winners and losers
Example: consumer protection law
Self-Regulatory and Redistributive Policies
Self-Regulatory
Protection of particular trades or professions
Usually at state level
Example: Licensing
Redistributive
Shifts in wealth, property, income, or rights
Examples: welfare, civil rights acts
Difficult to pass because it requires that the less powerful prevail over the powerful.
Micro versus Macro Politics

2. Lowi’s Policy Typology as updated by Ripley and Franklin
Distributive
Protective Regulatory
Competitive Regulatory
Redistributive

3. Distributive Generally individualized decisions Low levels of conflict
Lots of logrolling
Hard to find actual “losers”
Example: water projects
Distributive and Regulatory
Distributive
Generally individualized decisions
Low levels of conflict
Lots of logrolling
Hard to find actual “losers”
Examples: water projects

4. Distributive Policies
Classic Logrolling Example
Smooth Hawley Tariff Act 1930
Ideology or Logrolling?
Background for Smoot Hawley
Pastor / Callahan et al argued ideology
Irwin and Krozner found logrolling
Distributive and Regulatory
Distributive
Generally individualized decisions
Low levels of conflict
Lots of logrolling
Hard to find actual “losers”
Examples: water projects 4 4

5. Distributive
Group A support
for more benefits

6. Distributive Group A support for more benefits Pressure on +
representatives for
more benefits to
group A +

7. Distributive Group A support for more benefits willingness to support
Pressure on
representatives for
more benefits to
group A +
willingness to support
other groups to get what
you want

8. Distributive Logrolling Activity Group A support for more benefits
Pressure on
representatives for
more benefits to
group A +
willingness to support
other groups to get what
you want
Logrolling
Activity

9. Distributive Benefits to interest group A Logrolling Activity +
Group A support
for more benefits
Pressure on
representatives for
more benefits to
group A +
willingness to support
other groups to get what
you want
Logrolling
Activity

10. Distributive Benefits to other Benefits to groups interest group A
Group A support
for more benefits
Pressure on
representatives for
more benefits to
group A +
willingness to support
other groups to get what
you want
Benefits to other
groups
Logrolling
Activity

11. Distributive Benefits to other Benefits to groups interest group A
Group A support
for more benefits
Pressure on
representatives for
more benefits to
group A +
willingness to support
other groups to get what
you want
Benefits to other
groups
Other group
support for
more benefits
Logrolling
Activity

12. Distributive Benefits to other Benefits to groups interest group A
Group A support
for more benefits
Pressure on
representatives for
more benefits to
group A +
willingness to support
other groups to get what
you want
Benefits to other
groups
Other group
support for
more benefits
"other" benefits
Logrolling
Activity

13. Distributive Can you think of other examples?
Distributive and Regulatory
Distributive
Generally individualized decisions
Low levels of conflict
Lots of logrolling
Hard to find actual “losers”
Examples: water projects

14. Protective Regulatory
Conflict between groups or coalitions of groups
Tends to be rather more open
Visible winners and losers
Example: consumer protection law
Regulatory
Conflict between groups or coalitions of groups
Tends to be rather more open
Visible winners and losers
Example: consumer protection law

15. Protective Regulatory
activity that
harms people

16. Protective Regulatory
Groups harmed by
business practices
activity that
harms people +

17. Protective Regulatory
Groups harmed by
business practices
mobilization of a
coalition for
regulation +
activity that
harms people

18. Protective Regulatory
Groups harmed by
business practices
mobilization of a
coalition for
regulation
pressure to
regulate +
activity that
harms people

19. Protective Regulatory
Groups harmed by
business practices
mobilization of a
coalition for
regulation
pressure to
regulate
Regulation
on business
practices - +
activity that
harms people

20. Protective Regulatory
Groups harmed by
business practices
mobilization of a
coalition for
regulation
pressure to
regulate
Regulation
on business
practices - +
activity that
harms people
harm to
business
profits

21. Protective Regulatory
Groups harmed by
business practices
mobilization of a
coalition for
regulation
pressure to
regulate
Regulation
on business
practices
Businesses harmed
by regulation - +
activity that
harms people
harm to
business
profits

22. Protective Regulatory
Groups harmed by
business practices
mobilization of a
coalition for
regulation
pressure to
regulate
Regulation
on business
practices
Businesses harmed
by regulation
Mobilization of
business interest
coalitions - +
activity that
harms people
harm to
business
profits

23. Protective Regulatory
Groups harmed by
business practices
mobilization of a
coalition for
regulation
pressure to
regulate
Regulation
on business
practices
Businesses harmed
by regulation
Mobilization of
business interest
coalitions
deregulate the
industry - +
activity that
harms people
harm to
business
profits

24. Protective Regulatory
Can you think of any examples?
Regulatory
Conflict between groups or coalitions of groups
Tends to be rather more open
Visible winners and losers
Example: consumer protection law

25. Competitive Regulatory
Protection of particular trades or professions
Usually at state level
Example: Licensing
Self-Regulatory and Redistributive Policies
Self-Regulatory
Protection of particular trades or professions
Usually at state level
Example: Licensing

26. Competitive Regulatory
Advantage of
Business or Group A
Market Share
occupied by Group A +

27. Competitive Regulatory
Advantage of
Business or Group A
Market Share
occupied by Group A
Perceived Monopoly
by group A +

28. Competitive Regulatory
Advantage of
Business or Group A
Market Share
occupied by Group A
Perceived Monopoly
by group A
Pressure to
regulate industry - +

29. Competitive Regulatory
Advantage of
Business or Group A
Market Share
occupied by Group A
Perceived Monopoly
by group A
Pressure to
regulate industry
Advantages to "other"
businesses or groups + -

30. Competitive Regulatory
Advantage of
Business or Group A
Market Share
occupied by Group A
Perceived Monopoly
by group A
Pressure to
regulate industry
Advantages to "other"
businesses or groups
Market share of
other groups + -

31. Competitive Regulatory
Advantage of
Business or Group A
Market Share
occupied by Group A
Perceived Monopoly
by group A
Pressure to
regulate industry
Advantages to "other"
businesses or groups
Market share of
other groups
Perception of a
competitive market + -

32. Redistributive Shifts in wealth, property, income, or rights
Examples: welfare, civil rights acts
Difficult to pass because it requires that the less powerful prevail over the powerful.
Redistributive
Shifts in wealth, property, income, or rights
Examples: welfare, civil rights acts
Difficult to pass because it requires that the less powerful prevail over the powerful.
Micro versus Macro Politics

33. Redistributive
problems
accumulating for
the less powerful
group

34. Redistributive problems reaching the national agenda + problems
accumulating for
the less powerful
group
problems reaching the
national agenda +

35. Redistributive pressure to "do something" to help the less powerful
problems
accumulating for
the less powerful
group
problems reaching the
national agenda +
pressure to "do something"
to help the less powerful

36. Redistributive Status quo power to prevent policy change
problems
accumulating for
the less powerful
group
problems reaching the
national agenda +
pressure to "do something"
to help the less powerful
Status quo power to
prevent policy change

37. Redistributive Status quo power to prevent policy change
problems
accumulating for
the less powerful
group
problems reaching the
national agenda +
pressure to "do something"
to help the less powerful
Policy change to help
the less powerful group
Status quo power to
prevent policy change -

38. Redistributive Status quo power to prevent policy change
problems
accumulating for
the less powerful
group
problems reaching the
national agenda +
pressure to "do something"
to help the less powerful
Policy change to help
the less powerful group -
Status quo power to
prevent policy change

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