Paul Cairney
@paulcairney.bsky.social
Professor of Politics and Public Policy, University of Stirling, UK. Past my best. Photo 11 years out of date.
https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/cv/
https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/cv/
Why don't governments learn, and what can we do about it?
paulcairney.wordpress.com/2025/11/06/w...
paulcairney.wordpress.com/2025/11/06/w...
Why don’t governments learn, and what can we do about it?
The first in our PoPP group’s series of blog posts reflecting on the connections between established political science/ policy theory insights and a renewed focus on learning from success. Learning…
paulcairney.wordpress.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Why don't governments learn, and what can we do about it?
paulcairney.wordpress.com/2025/11/06/w...
paulcairney.wordpress.com/2025/11/06/w...
Now published in the latest Policy Design and Practice:
So you want to be a systems leader?
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
It's an article about systems leadership. You don't need to want to be a systems leader to read it.
So you want to be a systems leader?
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
It's an article about systems leadership. You don't need to want to be a systems leader to read it.
So you want to be a systems leader?
Systems leaders are trusted actors who help many people to collaborate to address wicked policy problems. These policy problems resist simple solutions by a few powerful actors in one center of gov...
www.tandfonline.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Now published in the latest Policy Design and Practice:
So you want to be a systems leader?
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
It's an article about systems leadership. You don't need to want to be a systems leader to read it.
So you want to be a systems leader?
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
It's an article about systems leadership. You don't need to want to be a systems leader to read it.
Reposted by Paul Cairney
Interesting (esp as I get more and more into public health research) & valuable piece by @paulcairney.bsky.social & colleagues on poli sci approaches to preventative healthcare. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New political science analysis of the renewed push for preventive health: ‘Can it be any different this time around?’
The idea that ‘prevention is better than cure’ is often treated as self-evident in health policymaking: who would not want to shift resources from mit…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 16, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Interesting (esp as I get more and more into public health research) & valuable piece by @paulcairney.bsky.social & colleagues on poli sci approaches to preventative healthcare. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
A reminder: people say "guru" because it uses fewer characters than "charlatan". But still, do come along...
We'll be exploring the Thatcher legacy & her impact on British politics today at the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social on 20 Oct.
With former Thatcher minister, Gillian Shephard; Conservative peer Simone Finn; legendary politics guru @philipjcowley.bsky.social & me.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/still-that...
With former Thatcher minister, Gillian Shephard; Conservative peer Simone Finn; legendary politics guru @philipjcowley.bsky.social & me.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/still-that...
Still “Thatcher’s Britain”? The Thatcher Legacy, 1925-2025
Join the Mile End Institute to explore why Margaret Thatcher continues to cast such a shadow across British politics!
www.eventbrite.co.uk
October 10, 2025 at 7:38 AM
A reminder: people say "guru" because it uses fewer characters than "charlatan". But still, do come along...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
This is….and imagine all the other ways this manifests… and across different contexts
September 29, 2025 at 6:18 AM
This is….and imagine all the other ways this manifests… and across different contexts
Reposted by Paul Cairney
The 'what did we learn on our summer holidays?' anonymous memo itself archive.ph/5imGV
archive.ph
September 29, 2025 at 12:54 PM
The 'what did we learn on our summer holidays?' anonymous memo itself archive.ph/5imGV
Using political science to inform our understanding of the challenges of preventive health policymaking: ‘Can this time be any different?’
paulcairney.wordpress.com/2025/09/25/u...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
paulcairney.wordpress.com/2025/09/25/u...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Using political science to inform our understanding of the challenges of preventive health policymaking: ‘Can this time be any different?’
By Paul Cairney, John Boswell, Hashum Mahmood, Annie Bliss. This post summarises our new article in Social Science & Medicine. Advocates of preventive health and care policy often feel like the…
paulcairney.wordpress.com
September 25, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Using political science to inform our understanding of the challenges of preventive health policymaking: ‘Can this time be any different?’
paulcairney.wordpress.com/2025/09/25/u...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
paulcairney.wordpress.com/2025/09/25/u...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
We will hear from:
🔵 Professor Nicole Busby - Professor in Human Rights, Equality and Justice, @uofglasgow.bsky.social
🔵 Professor @paulcairney.bsky.social - Professor of Politics and Public Policy, @stir.ac.uk
For more information please visit our website: covid19inquiry.scot
🔵 Professor Nicole Busby - Professor in Human Rights, Equality and Justice, @uofglasgow.bsky.social
🔵 Professor @paulcairney.bsky.social - Professor of Politics and Public Policy, @stir.ac.uk
For more information please visit our website: covid19inquiry.scot
September 19, 2025 at 10:11 AM
We will hear from:
🔵 Professor Nicole Busby - Professor in Human Rights, Equality and Justice, @uofglasgow.bsky.social
🔵 Professor @paulcairney.bsky.social - Professor of Politics and Public Policy, @stir.ac.uk
For more information please visit our website: covid19inquiry.scot
🔵 Professor Nicole Busby - Professor in Human Rights, Equality and Justice, @uofglasgow.bsky.social
🔵 Professor @paulcairney.bsky.social - Professor of Politics and Public Policy, @stir.ac.uk
For more information please visit our website: covid19inquiry.scot
New political science analysis of the renewed push for preventive health: ‘Can it be any different this time around?
doi.org/10.1016/j.so...
doi.org/10.1016/j.so...
Redirecting
doi.org
September 13, 2025 at 3:34 PM
New political science analysis of the renewed push for preventive health: ‘Can it be any different this time around?
doi.org/10.1016/j.so...
doi.org/10.1016/j.so...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
🫱🏽🫲🏿 #COPPR26 is more than a conference. It’s a space for building community across disciplines, methods, and institutions. Come find your people, share your ideas. CFP here: policyprocessresearch.org/coppr26-prop...
COPPR26 Proposal Submission & Registration
Important Dates to Remember June 5, 2025-August 31, 2025: Open call for pre-COPPR workshops, papers, panels, and roundtable proposals September 30, 2025: Notification of accepted or rejected propos…
policyprocessresearch.org
July 21, 2025 at 5:04 PM
🫱🏽🫲🏿 #COPPR26 is more than a conference. It’s a space for building community across disciplines, methods, and institutions. Come find your people, share your ideas. CFP here: policyprocessresearch.org/coppr26-prop...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
📖 Do you work with the IAD Framework?
Institutional rules, action arenas, and the grammar of institutions? Then you should be at #COPPR26.
Present your work. Find your people. Build the field.
CFP open now 👉 policyprocessresearch.org/coppr26-prop...
Institutional rules, action arenas, and the grammar of institutions? Then you should be at #COPPR26.
Present your work. Find your people. Build the field.
CFP open now 👉 policyprocessresearch.org/coppr26-prop...
COPPR26 Proposal Submission & Registration
Important Dates to Remember June 5, 2025-August 31, 2025: Open call for pre-COPPR workshops, papers, panels, and roundtable proposals September 30, 2025: Notification of accepted or rejected propos…
policyprocessresearch.org
August 6, 2025 at 1:51 PM
📖 Do you work with the IAD Framework?
Institutional rules, action arenas, and the grammar of institutions? Then you should be at #COPPR26.
Present your work. Find your people. Build the field.
CFP open now 👉 policyprocessresearch.org/coppr26-prop...
Institutional rules, action arenas, and the grammar of institutions? Then you should be at #COPPR26.
Present your work. Find your people. Build the field.
CFP open now 👉 policyprocessresearch.org/coppr26-prop...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
🏛️ Do you map belief systems, coalitions, and policy subsystems? The Advocacy Coalition Framework remains a cornerstone of policy process research — and so is #COPPR26. Submit your ACF work by Aug 31. policyprocessresearch.org/coppr26-prop...
COPPR26 Proposal Submission & Registration
Important Dates to Remember June 5, 2025-August 31, 2025: Open call for pre-COPPR workshops, papers, panels, and roundtable proposals September 30, 2025: Notification of accepted or rejected propos…
policyprocessresearch.org
August 25, 2025 at 3:48 PM
🏛️ Do you map belief systems, coalitions, and policy subsystems? The Advocacy Coalition Framework remains a cornerstone of policy process research — and so is #COPPR26. Submit your ACF work by Aug 31. policyprocessresearch.org/coppr26-prop...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
📢 UPDATE! The submission deadline has been extended to September 15th. As always, we look forward to reviewing your proposals.—COPPR Team policyprocessresearch.org/coppr26-prop...
COPPR26 Proposal Submission & Registration
Important Dates to Remember June 5, 2025-September 15, 2025: Open call for pre-COPPR workshops, papers, panels, and roundtable proposals October 15, 2025: Notification of accepted or rejected propo…
policyprocessresearch.org
August 28, 2025 at 3:43 PM
📢 UPDATE! The submission deadline has been extended to September 15th. As always, we look forward to reviewing your proposals.—COPPR Team policyprocessresearch.org/coppr26-prop...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
Not sure what to submit to #COPPR26? We have SIX different session formats, check them out:
policyprocessresearch.org/coppr-26-ses...
policyprocessresearch.org/coppr-26-ses...
Session Information
The Conference on Policy Process Research (COPPR) is focused on advancing policy process research through a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches. COPPR offers six types of sessio…
policyprocessresearch.org
August 11, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Not sure what to submit to #COPPR26? We have SIX different session formats, check them out:
policyprocessresearch.org/coppr-26-ses...
policyprocessresearch.org/coppr-26-ses...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
The Conference on Policy Process Research 2026 is in Bern, Switzerland, January 20-23. You can submit your paper or presentation ideas here - policyprocessresearch.org - and can attend in person or online.
August 12, 2025 at 11:37 AM
The Conference on Policy Process Research 2026 is in Bern, Switzerland, January 20-23. You can submit your paper or presentation ideas here - policyprocessresearch.org - and can attend in person or online.
Reposted by Paul Cairney
We had a wee Stirling in-house think about the relationship between critical climate justice and Policy Studies with Andrea Schapper @envjusticeresstir.bsky.social, @paulcairney.bsky.social, @hyeyoonpark.bsky.social, @neilcrawford.bsky.social
and Hannes Stephan
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
and Hannes Stephan
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New directions in climate justice? A dialogue between critical climate justice and policy studies scholars
New directions in just climate policymaking can emerge from the dialogue between critical climate justice and policy studies scholars. Current climate…
www.sciencedirect.com
August 22, 2025 at 10:33 AM
We had a wee Stirling in-house think about the relationship between critical climate justice and Policy Studies with Andrea Schapper @envjusticeresstir.bsky.social, @paulcairney.bsky.social, @hyeyoonpark.bsky.social, @neilcrawford.bsky.social
and Hannes Stephan
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
and Hannes Stephan
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New Directions in Climate Justice? A Dialogue Between Critical Climate Justice and Policy Studies Scholars
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New directions in climate justice? A dialogue between critical climate justice and policy studies scholars
New directions in just climate policymaking can emerge from the dialogue between critical climate justice and policy studies scholars. Current climate…
www.sciencedirect.com
August 22, 2025 at 6:17 AM
New Directions in Climate Justice? A Dialogue Between Critical Climate Justice and Policy Studies Scholars
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
Political scientists: can you help me with something?
I'm adding suggested podcast episodes to my Politics of Public Policy syllabus this year.
I need a podcast episode on these two topics:
-Agenda Setting
-Policy Feedback
Anything come to mind?
Thanks in advance!
I'm adding suggested podcast episodes to my Politics of Public Policy syllabus this year.
I need a podcast episode on these two topics:
-Agenda Setting
-Policy Feedback
Anything come to mind?
Thanks in advance!
August 20, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Political scientists: can you help me with something?
I'm adding suggested podcast episodes to my Politics of Public Policy syllabus this year.
I need a podcast episode on these two topics:
-Agenda Setting
-Policy Feedback
Anything come to mind?
Thanks in advance!
I'm adding suggested podcast episodes to my Politics of Public Policy syllabus this year.
I need a podcast episode on these two topics:
-Agenda Setting
-Policy Feedback
Anything come to mind?
Thanks in advance!
Reposted by Paul Cairney
Policy fragmentation and incoherence are inevitable in the real world
@paulcairney.bsky.social
Why perfect policy coherence is unattainable (and may be ill-advised)
@policysciences.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@paulcairney.bsky.social
Why perfect policy coherence is unattainable (and may be ill-advised)
@policysciences.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Why perfect policy coherence is unattainable (and may be ill-advised) - Policy Sciences
Policy Sciences - Classic studies of ‘perfect’ policymaking use an ideal-type to identify and reflect on policymaking in the real world. I use this approach to review studies that seek...
link.springer.com
August 18, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Policy fragmentation and incoherence are inevitable in the real world
@paulcairney.bsky.social
Why perfect policy coherence is unattainable (and may be ill-advised)
@policysciences.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@paulcairney.bsky.social
Why perfect policy coherence is unattainable (and may be ill-advised)
@policysciences.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
This is our most likeable article:
So you want to be a systems leader? doi.org/10.1080/2574...
For the less likeable version open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/5-6
youtu.be/I-9OPkABTdY?...
So you want to be a systems leader? doi.org/10.1080/2574...
For the less likeable version open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/5-6
youtu.be/I-9OPkABTdY?...
Frank's Most Likeable Song Ever
YouTube video by avi tekin
youtu.be
August 13, 2025 at 10:05 AM
This is our most likeable article:
So you want to be a systems leader? doi.org/10.1080/2574...
For the less likeable version open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/5-6
youtu.be/I-9OPkABTdY?...
So you want to be a systems leader? doi.org/10.1080/2574...
For the less likeable version open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/5-6
youtu.be/I-9OPkABTdY?...
Reposted by Paul Cairney
*PSA Book Recommends* 📚 Looking for a thought provoking summer read? Check out this year's Mackenzie Book Prize shortlist for ideas.
📚
📚
WJM Mackenzie Book Prize 2024/25 - Shortlist Announced | The Political Studies Association (PSA)
We are pleased to announce the shortlisted books for the WJM Mackenzie Book Prize 2024/25!A huge thank you to all those who nominated a book for this esteemed prize that celebrates the distinctive…
buff.ly
August 12, 2025 at 12:01 PM
*PSA Book Recommends* 📚 Looking for a thought provoking summer read? Check out this year's Mackenzie Book Prize shortlist for ideas.
📚
📚
The Conference on Policy Process Research 2026 is in Bern, Switzerland, January 20-23. You can submit your paper or presentation ideas here - policyprocessresearch.org - and can attend in person or online.
August 12, 2025 at 11:37 AM
The Conference on Policy Process Research 2026 is in Bern, Switzerland, January 20-23. You can submit your paper or presentation ideas here - policyprocessresearch.org - and can attend in person or online.