Hardback
Policy Over- and Underreaction
Collected Essays
9781035329786 Edward Elgar Publishing
This book presents 13 pioneering essays on policy over- and underreaction by Moshe Maor, a leading authority on disproportionate policy responses. Maor construes disproportion in an empirical rather than normative manner to improve our understanding of when, why, and how electorally vulnerable political executives and those operating in contexts of declining trust in government and rising negativity and populism resort to disproportionate policy measures.
This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.
This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.
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Critical Acclaim
More Information
This book presents 13 pioneering essays on policy over- and underreaction by Moshe Maor, a leading authority on disproportionate policy responses. Maor construes disproportion in an empirical rather than normative manner to improve our understanding of when, why, and how electorally vulnerable political executives and those operating in contexts of declining trust in government and rising negativity and populism resort to disproportionate policy measures.
Covering topics such as policy over- and underreaction, intentional disproportionate policy, and policy bubbles, Maor argues that from a political executive’s perspective, proportionate policy is not and should not be considered the ultimate policy aim under all circumstances. He sheds light on the alternative concept of deliberate disproportionate policy, along with the conditions under which such policy response is most likely to occur, and the political and policy benefits this policy offers to its initiators. In developing the disproportionate policy perspective, Maor offers a new way of ‘seeing’ that does not align with any of the dominant policy process theories.
This book is invaluable for students and scholars of political science, public policy, democracy and populism. It will also be of great interest to sociologists researching moral panic and economists studying financial bubbles, alongside government officials and policymakers worldwide.
Covering topics such as policy over- and underreaction, intentional disproportionate policy, and policy bubbles, Maor argues that from a political executive’s perspective, proportionate policy is not and should not be considered the ultimate policy aim under all circumstances. He sheds light on the alternative concept of deliberate disproportionate policy, along with the conditions under which such policy response is most likely to occur, and the political and policy benefits this policy offers to its initiators. In developing the disproportionate policy perspective, Maor offers a new way of ‘seeing’ that does not align with any of the dominant policy process theories.
This book is invaluable for students and scholars of political science, public policy, democracy and populism. It will also be of great interest to sociologists researching moral panic and economists studying financial bubbles, alongside government officials and policymakers worldwide.
Critical Acclaim
‘Governments are frequently criticised for overkill or insufficiency in tackling policy problems. At the forefront of seeking to understand such lop-sided responses is Moshe Maor. In this volume he provides us with forensic, thought-provoking and impassioned analysis that is a “must read” for policy scholars, practitioners and students alike.’
– Allan McConnell, University of Sydney, Australia
‘The product of a 10-year effort to understand why governments sometimes react disproportionately to the problems and crises they face, this book presents an original, multidisciplinary and yet coherent analytical framework for understanding policy under- and overreaction. One would hope it will be read widely, from Jerusalem to Washington, and from Moscow to Beijing.’
– Paul ‘t Hart, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
‘Since his first foray into the field in his pathbreaking 2012 Journal of Public Policy essay on Policy Overreaction, Moshe Maor has systematically developed a research programme into what is now commonly referred to as “disproportionate” policy-making, or the all-too-common phenomenon of a mismatch between issue importance and government action. In this important book, he collects and revises a dozen of his previously published and unpublished essays on the subject, setting a landmark and baseline for future research. The essays cover a range of important topics in the field, from early work on over- and underreaction to studies developing the concept and theory of disproportionality and applying it to problems such as climate change and national security, to more recent work detailing underlying contributing behaviour such as the roles of emotions and emotional entrepreneurs in driving disproportionate policy responses forward. Maor has done a major service to scholars and practitioners alike in bringing together in one place this important and significant body of research and thinking.’
– Michael Howlett, Simon Fraser University, Canada
– Allan McConnell, University of Sydney, Australia
‘The product of a 10-year effort to understand why governments sometimes react disproportionately to the problems and crises they face, this book presents an original, multidisciplinary and yet coherent analytical framework for understanding policy under- and overreaction. One would hope it will be read widely, from Jerusalem to Washington, and from Moscow to Beijing.’
– Paul ‘t Hart, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
‘Since his first foray into the field in his pathbreaking 2012 Journal of Public Policy essay on Policy Overreaction, Moshe Maor has systematically developed a research programme into what is now commonly referred to as “disproportionate” policy-making, or the all-too-common phenomenon of a mismatch between issue importance and government action. In this important book, he collects and revises a dozen of his previously published and unpublished essays on the subject, setting a landmark and baseline for future research. The essays cover a range of important topics in the field, from early work on over- and underreaction to studies developing the concept and theory of disproportionality and applying it to problems such as climate change and national security, to more recent work detailing underlying contributing behaviour such as the roles of emotions and emotional entrepreneurs in driving disproportionate policy responses forward. Maor has done a major service to scholars and practitioners alike in bringing together in one place this important and significant body of research and thinking.’
– Michael Howlett, Simon Fraser University, Canada
