Project
Exploring Zombie Ideas in Agricultural Policy
Ideas play a pivotal role in shaping public policy, from framing societal challenges to defining potential solutions. However, not all ideas contribute positively to policy development. Some persist long after being discredited or proven ineffective—these are known as zombie ideas. Zombie ideas are policy concepts that continue to influence decision-making despite repeated failures in achieving their goals or a lack of empirical support (Peters and Nagel, 2020).
This thesis project focuses on understanding the persistence of zombie ideas within agricultural policy. The agricultural sector faces urgent challenges, from socio-economic challenges to climate resilience, necessitating innovative and effective policy reforms. Yet, zombie ideas often dominate discussions, hindering meaningful progress.
Research Objectives:
1.Develop a methodological framework for identifying zombie ideas within agricultural policy.
2.Investigate the prevalence of zombie ideas in a specific setting (e.g., the European Union, the Netherlands, or another context).
3.Analyze the factors contributing to the resilience of these ideas, including political, institutional, and societal dynamics.
4.Provide insights into how zombie ideas can be addressed to facilitate more adaptive and evidence-based agricultural policies.
This project offers a unique opportunity to engage with the intersection of public policy theory and agricultural policy analysis. The selected candidate will work on a timely and impactful topic, contributing to both academic debates and agricultural policy development.
Candidate Profile
- MSc student with an affinity for political science and/or public policy
- Strong analytical skills and interest in agricultural policy.
- Affinity with methodological innovation.
Application
Interested candidates should submit a CV, a brief motivation letter, and an example of previous academic work. For more details, please contact Jeroen Candel.