In policy–making there are causes and effects for every action that occurs. How causes are interpreted is the main focus of much of the debate around how actors in the policy–making world make their decisions. Currently, the main schools of thought have a few major differences. One main difference is the view of how rational humans can be; with new developments leading many authors in the discussion to believe that humans cannot be fully rational and thus operate under the term of bounded rationality.[1] Within this group, there are different theories as to how the actors function with one side operating under the assumption that ambiguity and limited time also figure into decision making, while one of the other major theories rejects the notion of ambiguity, agrees with limited time, and emphasizes narratives as the major player in how policy changes are made.[2]

Both of the articles that I am comparing hail from the second school of thought that I mention–which emphasizes narratives as a tool. The first article–written by Deborah Stone–is one of the founding works of this school of thought by classifying narrative portrayals into four separate categories and by analyzing how political actors utilize these narratives to their advantage or to detract from a rival actor.[3] The second article–written by Marcela Veselková–heavily agrees with the theory presented by Stone, and seeks to bolster the argument first developed by Stone by identifying more indicators of policy narratives–namely a clear stance on an issue and creating heroes and villains on the issue.[4]

These articles are imperative to the research I am conducting because they delve into the larger theoretical framework that I am seeking to explain through the analysis of the variation in metro system operation hours. The larger issue of rationality within the political actors is also important, and merits further analysis so that I can compare those arguments with those set forth by theories that assume bounded rationality and narrative frameworks. Hopefully, my research will build on one of these theories concerning the decision making process and political actors.

[1] Veselková, Marcela. “Narrative Policy Framework: Narratives as Heuristics in the Policy Process,” Human Affairs 27, no. 2 (2017), 179.

[2] Ibid.; Ibid., 181

[3] Stone, Deborah A. “Causal Stories and the Formation of Policy Agendas,” Political Science Quarterly 104, no. 2 (1989), 299.

[4] Veselková, 183

Bibliography:

Stone, Deborah A. “Causal Stories and the Formation of Policy Agendas,” Political Science Quarterly 104, no. 2 (1989), 281–300.

Veselková, Marcela. “Narrative Policy Framework: Narratives as Heuristics in the Policy Process,” Human Affairs 27, no. 2 (2017), 178–191.