IPSA Panel at the 8th International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP8)

Panel Title: The Politics of Policy Change under Democratic Strain
Chair: Prof. Elisa Chelle (Université Paris Nanterre / IPSA Executive Committee member)
Format: On-site closed panel (4–5 papers)

As part of the institutional partnership between the International Political Science Association (IPSA) and the International Public Policy Association (IPPA), IPSA is organizing a dedicated panel at the 8th International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP8), to be held at Sciences Po Rennes from 7-9 July 2027.

Public policymaking increasingly unfolds in contexts marked by intense political polarization, shifting electoral coalitions, fiscal constraints, and challenges to liberal-democratic norms. While policy studies have traditionally emphasized institutional stability, technocratic governance, and incremental adjustment, recent developments highlight how partisan conflict, populist mobilization, and executive aggrandizement reshape the formulation, implementation, and contestation of public policies.

This panel examines the interplay between political dynamics and public policy across different regime types and policy sectors (including, but not limited to, social and health policies, migration, environmental governance, and digital state practices). We welcome papers that bridge political science and public policy analysis to address questions such as:

• How do electoral competition, ideological polarization, and populist framing alter policy agendas and instrument choices?
• Under what conditions do bureaucratic agencies, courts, or subnational actors resist, adapt to, or facilitate politically driven policy shifts?
• How do welfare, health, or regulatory policies feed back into citizen attitudes, political trust, and democratic participation?

We invite empirical, theoretical, and comparative contributions drawing on diverse methodological approaches—qualitative, quantitative, archival, ethnographic, or mixed-methods.

IPSA members planning to attend ICPP8 in Rennes are invited to submit a paper proposal including:

• Paper title;
• Abstract (250–300 words) outlining the research question, theoretical framework, methodology, and main findings;
• Author’s name, institutional affiliation, email address, and current IPSA membership status.

Please be aware that this allocation covers panel inclusion; selected paper presenters remain responsible for their own travel, accommodation, and conference registration fees unless otherwise covered.

Please send your proposal to Elisa Chelle (chellee@parisnanterre.fr) by 16 November 2026.