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A Bridge in Flux: Narratives and the Policy Process in the Pacific Northwest

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  • Adam M. Brewer

Abstract

Policy narratives play an important role in the policy process. Often policy narratives originate from advocacy coalitions seeking increased support from the public for their policy stance. Although most Narrative Policy Framework studies have focused on national policy issues, this study examines a state and local economic development project by exploring the policy narratives from competing coalitions in favor and opposed to the project. Specifically, in the Portland–Vancouver area of Oregon and Washington, local policy discussions have been dominated by a proposal for a new mega bridge on Interstate‐5 connecting the two cities across the Columbia River. A new government agency (CRC—Columbia River Crossing) was formed for the implementation of this project. Upon approval of a proposal, CRC experienced heavy backlash from citizens, local businesses, community leaders, and other stakeholders leading to the formation of two competing coalitions in opposition and support of the bridge. This study, using content analysis of 370 public documents, finds that competing coalitions utilize policy narratives in strategic ways to characterize the opposing coalition, themselves, and other actors in the policy subsystem. This study also suggests that the strength and cohesion of a coalition's narrative contributes to its policy success and the winning/losing status of a coalition potentially determines the types of strategies they will use. Last, this study introduces and tests a new narrative strategy called the impotent shift testing a coalition's strategic use of the victim character. 变化之中的桥梁:太平洋西北处的叙事和政策过程 政策叙事在政策过程中扮演重要角色。政策叙事通常源于倡议联盟,后者试图增加公众对其政策姿态的支持。尽管大多数叙事政策框架(NPF)研究都聚焦于国家政策议题,但本文检验的是一个地方性的州级经济发展计划。本文探索了支持或反对该计划的竞争联盟所描述的政策叙事。具体而言,在位于俄勒冈州和华盛顿州之间的波特兰‐温哥华区域,当地政策辩论一直聚焦于一项部分由联邦出资的提议,这项提议建议在哥伦比亚河上新建立一座连接波特兰和温哥华的超大型州际公路桥。为负责实施这项计划,成立了一个新政府项目(哥伦比亚河过境项目,CRC)。提议通过之后便遭到了由当地居民、企业、社区领导和其他利益相关者的严重反对,这导致形成了支持和反对建桥项目的竞争联盟。本文使用一项包括370个政府文件的内容分析,发现竞争联盟策略性地使用政策叙事,以描述对立联盟、自身和在政策子系统中的其他行动者。本文认为,联盟在叙事上的能力和凝聚力有助于自身政策成功,并且联盟的成败潜在地决定了其将使用的策略类型。最后,本文介绍并检验了一个被称之为“无力转变”的叙事策略,以测试联盟对受害者形象的策略性运用。 Un puente en flujo: las narrativas y el proceso de políticas en el noroeste del Pacífico Las narrativas de políticas desempeñan un papel importante en el proceso de políticas. A menudo, las narrativas de políticas se originan en coaliciones de defensa que buscan un mayor apoyo del público para su postura política. Aunque la mayoría de los estudios del Marco de Política Narrativa (NPF) se han centrado en cuestiones de política nacional, este estudio examina un proyecto de desarrollo económico local y estatal explorando las narrativas de políticas de coaliciones que compiten entre sí a favor y en contra del proyecto. Específicamente, en el área de Portland‐Vancouver de Oregón y Washington, las discusiones sobre políticas locales han estado dominadas por una propuesta parcial financiada por el gobierno federal para un nuevo mega puente en la carretera interestatal 5 que conecta las dos ciudades a través del río Columbia. Se formó una nueva agencia gubernamental (CRC‐Columbia River Crossing) para la implementación de este proyecto. Tras la aprobación de una propuesta, CRC experimentó una fuerte reacción por parte de los ciudadanos, por las empresas locales, por los líderes de la comunidad y por otras partes interesadas, lo que llevó a la formación de dos coaliciones competentes en oposición y apoyo del puente. Este estudio, utilizando el análisis de contenido de 370 documentos públicos, encuentra que las coaliciones en competencia utilizan narrativas de políticas de manera estratégica para caracterizar a la coalición opuesta, a ellas mismas y a otros actores en el subsistema de políticas. Este estudio también sugiere que la fuerza y ​​la cohesión de la narrativa de una coalición contribuyen al éxito de su política y el estado de ganar / perder de una coalición determina potencialmente los tipos de estrategias que usarán. Por último, este estudio presenta y prueba una nueva estrategia narrativa llamada “the impotent shift” (el cambio impotente) que evalúa el uso estratégico del carácter de la víctima.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam M. Brewer, 2019. "A Bridge in Flux: Narratives and the Policy Process in the Pacific Northwest," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 36(4), pages 497-522, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:revpol:v:36:y:2019:i:4:p:497-522
    DOI: 10.1111/ropr.12343
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    Cited by:

    1. Pierre-André Hudon & Serghei Floricel, 2023. "The development of large public infrastructure projects: integrating policy and project studies models," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 42(2), pages 148-163.
    2. Rob A. DeLeo & Elizabeth A. Shanahan & Kristin Taylor & Nathan Jeschke & Deserai Crow & Thomas A. Birkland & Elizabeth Koebele & Danielle Blanch-Hartigan & Courtney Welton-Mitchell & Sandhya Sangappa , 2024. "COVID-19 memorable messages as internal narratives: stability and change over time," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 57(3), pages 519-538, September.
    3. Giovanni Esposito & Andrea Terlizzi, 2023. "Governing wickedness in megaprojects: discursive and institutional perspectives," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 42(2), pages 131-147.

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