Advancing the study of
narratives in the policy process
Three Levels of Analysis
The NPF assumes that narratives operate and interact on three interconnected levels of analysis.
Micro-level
Micro-level analysis concerns the individual and how individuals both inform and are informed by narratives.
Meso-level
Meso-level analysis focus on the policy narratives that policy actors, groups, and advocacy coalitions employ over time within a policy subsystem.
Macro-level
Macro-level analysis examines how policy narratives embedded in cultures and institutions shape public policy.
For anyone interested in learning more McBeth, M.K & Shanahan, E.A. (2004). “Public Opinion for Sale: The Role of Policy Marketers in Greater Yellowstone Policy Conflict”. Policy Sciences 37 (3), 319-338. Doi: 10.1007/s11077-005-8876-4 Shanahan, E.A., Jones, M.D., & McBeth, M.K. (2018). “How to Conduct a Narrative Policy Framework study”. The Social Science Journal, 55, 332-345. Doi: 10.1016/j.soscij.2017.12.002 Shanahan, E.A., Jones, M.D., McBeth, M.K., & Radaelli, C.M. (2017). The Narrative Policy Framework. In Weible & Sabatier (Eds.), Theories of the policy process (4th ed., p. 173-213). New York, NY; Routledge. Doi: 10.4324/9780429494284-6