An Effective Alternative, Policy Experimentation, and the Multiple Streams Framework: An Empirical Study of Chinese Rural Governance Policy Output

Abstract

Although the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) has abundant research, the mechanism of partial couplings to complete coupling remains to be investigated. The study extends the MSF using the perspective of generating effective alternatives in the policy stream to explain the dynamic of the policy process. This article is an empirical study that compares two cases under the same holistic policy issues. We propose the multiple streams framework based on goal-oriented “policy solutions” to explain the process of Chinese rural governance policy output. The results show that: First, the partial coupling (politics and problems) opens the policy window for policy formulation, which drives the policy stream forming. Second, the periodic stability windows are a realistic path to accelerate the policy stream process. Third, policy experimentation constitutes an essential tool for formulating effective options. Further comparing the policy stream in the MSF with the policy stream in this study found clear differences.