Crisis Policy-Making and the Multiple Streams Framework: Empirical Evidence and Conceptual Considerations

Although it is a theory of the policy process, the MSF does not deal with the question of how the way a policy window has opened effects the policy-making process. This paper contributes to filling this research gap by focusing on policy-making in times of crisis (in contrast to policy-making under “normal conditions“). Crisis policy-making is a special case because in times of crisis, public expectations are particularly high and citizens expect their leaders to handle the crisis effectively and in a timely manner. To summarize the current state of research, the paper starts with a systematic review of (1) multiple streams applications analyzing crisis-induced policy-making and (2) the crisis management literature. Building on the insights gained, the paper generates new hypotheses and amends existing ones. It concludes with outlining an agenda for future research.