Policy accumulation in federal and polarized countries: Bureaucratic strategies and overburn

Recent studies have discussed policy accumulation, particularly its effects on policy implementation and bureaucracies. This study seeks to contribute to this debate by better grasping policy accumulation through a multilevel analysis. We investigate the effects of different levels of government's public policies on subnational policy implementation and bureaucracies in the same policy field. We analyze the case of Brazil's education policy, which is a shared responsibility of the federal government, states, and municipalities. We conducted a multilevel analysis of the literacy policies implemented by the three levels of government, as well as a historical analysis considering the changes in these policies in the last ten years. The empirical research is based on data collected through documents and in-depth interviews with bureaucrats from all three levels of government. We show that the diffusion of specific ideas and policies resulted in similarities among the different policies, allowing bureaucrats to coordinate them. However, the discontinuity of policies over time and variations in the ideas and ideological perspectives that guide policies overburden bureaucracies and induce them to develop strategies throughout implementation.