THE POWER OF NARRATIVE IN THE POLICY PROCESS AND INSTITUTIONAL LIFE:

Narratives are everywhere in political life. They animate and drive our political contests; they underpin the workings of our institutions and they mediate our understanding of the past. The very ubiquity and encompassing nature of narratives, however, complicates our ability to identify them and to understand their power. We are fish in narrative waters. Even when a particular narrative commands attention, it is (to change the metaphor) one tree in a forest of narratives. We need to see the trees in with all their differences, similarities and interrelationships if we are to understand the forest.

But if narratives are everywhere, they are not everything. There are other forms of discourse and other modes of understanding – notably logical argument, which establishes premises and draws conclusions through reasoned analysis. And although in practice the boundary between narrative and logical discourse can be porous on occasion, understanding their interaction in the policy process requires that we recognize the different nature of their appeal.

Narratives are particular, and particularly powerful forms of discourse. They are stories, with settings and plots that span a past, present and future, in which tension builds, crests and subsides. They are populated by characters whose actions propel the plot. And in many cases they have a “point” or moral to convey. They derive their power from their unique ability to appeal to the intellect (through the causal arc of the plot) and the imagination (through their grounding in the experience of characters). This ability allows them to create both bridges across and barriers between different communities of discourse.

My current work in progress is a book exploring these dynamics, illustrated by empirical cases: the Affordable Care Act in the US, the Brexit referendum in Britain, science advising during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, the maturing of the health care state in the US, Britain and Canada, the evolution of the European presidency, and the meaning of public monuments in the US, Germany and South Africa. Listed below are several articles which have so far emerged from this work.

Book project:

The Stories in the Noise: How narrative shapes institutions and policies …. and why it matters for democratic politics (in progress)

Papers and presentations:

“The Moral of the Story: Contesting narratives at the nexus of science and policy during COVID-19.” Forthcoming in Social Philosophy and Policy.

“Anniversary Narratives of the Healthcare State: Institutional Entrenchment in Retrospect.” Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law (2023) 48 (2): 269–298.

“The Narratives that Institutions Tell Can Explain a Lot” Scholars Strategy Network October 6, 2022.

“Institutional Narratives and Contemporary Challenges to Regulatory Governance.” Theories of Regulation and Governance webinar series. September 14th 2021.

“The Narratives of this Crisis Will Shape the Future.” Royal Society of Canada COVID-19 Series | Publication #7. May 8, 2020

"Welfare State Eras, Policy Narratives and the Role of Expertise: the case of the Affordable Care Act in Historical and Comparative Perspective.” Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 43, 3 (2018), pp. 427-453.