Abstract

Inspired by Lowi’s works that proposed a typology of public policies (1964, 1972) and thus by a wide range of comparative studies since the 1970s (Smith, 1975; Heidenheimer, Adams & Heclo, 1975; Hayward & Watson, 1975; Feldman et al., 1978), the heuristic concept of ‘style’ aims to transform an incomparable and singular policy or policy process into a comparable one through the identification of a relevant characterization (policy domain, time period, policy tools, etc.). By allowing the commensurability of policy, this concept also contributes to identify the divergence or convergence between ‘different systems of the decision-making process, different procedures of making societal decisions’ (Richardson, Gustafsson & Jordan, 1982, p. 2).