Policy Entrepreneurs and the Design of Public Policy: The Case of the National Health Insurance Law in Israel

Journal of Social Research & Policy, Volume: 3, Issue: 1, pp. 5-26.

Date: July 2012

ISSN: 2067-2640 (print), 2068-9861 (electronic)

Abstract: How do policy entrepreneurs implement in practice the things theory suggests they should do? This article suggests various insights into the influence of policy entrepreneurs on the formulation of public policy. Using a broad definition of the concept of policy entrepreneur, the article identifies the main characteristics of entrepreneurial activities, describes various strategies that the policy entrepreneur may employ, and develops a model of successful and effective policy entrepreneurship. Using an analysis of the design of the Israel National Health Law of 1994 as a case study, the article emphasizes the importance of policy entrepreneurs in the public policy arena and provides several insights into the conditions for their activity, their motivations and main strategies.

Keywords: Policy entrepreneurship, Policy change, Health care policy, Reform