Policy Implementation and the Multiple Streams Framework: Key Findings and Future Research Directions

Although MSF scholars often overlook implementation, notable progress on this front has been made in recent years that captures what happens after agendas are set and policies adopted, including studies that that directly apply MSF and develop its theoretical components as well as others that leverage its theoretical or empirical observations indirectly in the context of implementation. Given this, the goal of this review is to summarize the basics of MSF as applied to implementation in its current state and assess the research agenda moving forward. Although the body of work is limited, extant scholarship establishes that MSF is a fruitful theoretical framework to both examine policy implementation through and to expand our understanding of the policy cycles. However, additional studies are needed to both provide further evidence supporting its application and to answer key theoretical and practical questions.