Transnational Policy Innovation

Fabrizio De Francesco examines the factors that have encouraged and inhibited the spread of regulatory impact analysis among nations. Relying on a sophisticated grasp of theory and an innovative use of different methodologies, his book makes a substantial contribution to the literatures on policy diffusion and comparative regulation. -- William F West, Texas A&M University

Fabrizio De Francesco offers an insightful quantitative assessment of this spread and its causes; he finds that transnational networks of information sharing, here notably via the OECD, have had a major impact. This book raises the bar for careful empirical studies of regulation, RIA, and the diffusion of policy innovations. -- Jonathan B Wiener, Duke University

As scholars, we have long suspected that the OECD plays a critically important role in diffusing national policy innovations, but we have struggled to explain when, how and indeed why this might be the case. Drawing on a sophisticated mixed methods approach, this important new book seeks to shed new light on the OECD's activities, focusing on the policy tool of impact assessment. I predict it will change the way scholars of international organisations and national public administration think about this most mundane but quietly influential of international actors. -- Andrew Jordan, University of East Anglia

Fabrizio De Francesco puts forward a compelling and nuanced analysis of the influence of the OECD on national regulatory policies. The Diffusion of Regulatory Impact Analysis shows clearly the power of the OECD in shaping national agendas – but also its limits. This book belongs on the shelves of all serious scholars of regulatory governance. -- Fabrizio Gilardi, University of Zurich

Fabrizio De Francesco is a lecturer at the School of Government and Public Policy, University of Strathclyde. After completing his PhD in Politics at the University of Exeter, he was a Marie Curie research fellow at the University of Zurich and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Lausanne. He has also been involved in several national and international projects on Regulatory Impact Analysis. His research interests lie in comparative public policy, regulatory governance, and policy diffusion. His publications include a co-authored book with Claudio M Radaelli on Regulatory Quality in Europe and several papers in international journals including Comparative Political Studies, the Journal of European Public Policy, and the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis.