Comparative provincial policy analysis: A research agenda

No matter the tradition to which they affiliate themselves, case-oriented o r variable-oriented, policy analysts increasingly agree on the potential of a comparative methodology for the advancement of knowledge. Our thesis is that the 10 Canadian provinces offer a superb laboratory for testing hypoth eses and building theories in policy analysis. Indeed, there are numerous i mportant issues in comparative public policy research that could be usefull y treated in a provincial setting. Three stand out as being at the centre o f the comparative public policy field: the growth and decline of the state, the partisan influence on public policy, and neocorporatist explanations o f policy outcomes. This article addresses each of these issues in turn to s how how comparative research in an international context can serve to defin e a research agenda on provincial public policy in a comparative perspectiv e.