Diffusion of public policies: a theoretical overview

Policy diffusion process has a significant impact on public policy making. Policy diffusion occurs with the interaction of formal entities of countries, with the effect of International Organizations and epistemic communities. Policy diffusion processes take place not only among states and international level but also among different institutions in a state both vertically and horizontally. This study examines the public policy diffusion processes at the global level and their impact on policy making process. The study also demonstrates the vertical diffusion process between international organizations and states and horizontal diffusion process which occurs amongst epistemic communities and international experts. In addition,the nexus between policy diffusion and policy analysis is examined.