FRAMING AND DECISIONS: THE PUNCTUATIONS OF THE MEXICAN POWER GENERATION POLICY SUBSYSTEM
FRAMING AND DECISIONS: THE PUNCTUATIONS OF THE MEXICAN POWER GENERATION POLICY SUBSYSTEM

Author(s): RAÚL GUTIÉRREZ-MEAVE
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Editura Universităţii »Alexandru Ioan Cuza« din Iaşi
Keywords: framing process; punctuations; policy change;
Summary/Abstract: A growing body of policy research has argued for the significance of idea framing in policymaking. In this study, I examine the relevance of the framing process in decision-making by using the case of the Mexican electricity sector — a historically contested subsystem. Using discourse network analysis (DNA), I identify and map the concepts debated between 1994 and 2018 and compare the framings used in each presidential administration to support or oppose policy change. The findings show that during periods of policy change (incremental or radical), the coherence and dominance of the framing promoting the change was greater than that of the frame rejecting it. On the contrary, during the periods in which the status quo prevailed, despite efforts to change it, the framing of ideas was not coherent or pervasive enough to achieve it. As a result, it is argued that if a policy change is to be managed, the framing process is a critical factor to consider.

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