CHILD LABOR LAWS - A HISTORICAL CASE OF PUBLIC-POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

Models of public policy implementation proliferated during the 1970s a nd 1980s. We argue that these models should be robust across different time periods and should accurately postdict and explain the outcomes known to have occurred This article looks at two models of policy impl ementation, one developed by Mazmanian and Sabatier and another develo ped by Nakamura and Smnllwood. Robustness and explanatory ability of t hese models are assessed using a historical case study of the first na tional child labor law. This demonstrates the advantages of a historic al perspective on policy implementation. Looking at policy across time raises questions about current models of implementation.