Professor Paul Cairney

Professor

Politics University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Professor Paul Cairney

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About me

My name is Paul Cairney and my title is Professor of Politics and Public Policy in the Division of History, Heritage, and Politics at the University of Stirling. I am also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Science.

My blog on public policy is here - https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/  - and twitter is @Cairneypaul or @undpublicpolicy. A longer CV and full list of my academic publications can also be found here: https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/cv/

I am a specialist in British politics and public policy, often focusing on the ways in which policy studies can explain the use of evidence in politics and policy, and how policymakers translate broad long term aims into evidence-informed objectives (for example, The Politics of Evidence-Based Policymaking, 2016).

As part of the ESRC Centre on Constitutional Change (CCC, led by Professors Michael Keating and Nicola McEwen), I was funded from 2013-15 to examine the policy capacity of Scottish institutions in the lead up to the referendum on Scottish independence. The CCC was at the heart of academic-driven discussions to provide relatively impartial evidence to voters in Scotland. You can find details of ongoing work here: https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/prevention/

As part of the Horizon2020 funded IMAJINE centre on spatial justice and territorial inequalities across Europe, I am funded from 2016-21 to examine the ways in which governments can, and should, use evidence to learn from the success and failure of other government strategies. You can find an introductory blog post and report here: http://imajine-project.eu/2019/02/19/how-to-use-evidence-to-identify-learn-from-and-transfer-policy-success/

I am also part of a series of workshops examining the role and success of public health agencies, which you can find on the University of Stirling Public Policy blog: https://policyblog.stir.ac.uk/2019/07/24/institutionalising-preventive-health-what-are-the-key-issues-for-public-health-england/

Research (8)

My research and teaching interests are in comparative public policy. You can find a full list of publications here: https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/cv/ My research includes:

Comparisons of policy theories (e.g. Understanding Public Policy, 2nd ed 2019) Policymaking complexity (Making Policy in a Complex World, with Tanya Heikkila and Matt Wood)  applications of policy theory to live topics (The Politics of Evidence-Based Policy Making, 2016) Policy outcomes in different countries (Global Tobacco Control, 2012 (with Donley Studlar and Hadii Mamudu) Scottish politics and policy (The Scottish Political System Since Devolution, 2011 and Scottish Politics 2nd ed, 2013 with Neil McGarvey) Comparisons of UK and devolved government policymaking (‘Has Devolution Changed the British Policy Style?', British Politics, 3, 3, 350-72) Comparisons of policy outcomes across the UK (‘Policy Convergence, Transfer and Learning in the UK under Devolution', Regional and Federal Studies, 22, 3, 289-307 with Michael Keating and Eve Hepburn).

I was funded (October 2013-15) by the Economic and Social Research Council to research the policymaking process in Scotland, focusing on areas such as preventative spending. Our new book is: Paul Cairney and Emily St Denny (2020) Why Isn't Government Policy More Preventive? (Oxford University Press) I am now funded (2016-21) by EU Horizon2020 (IMAJINE centre on territorial inequalities across Europe) to examine the ways in which governments can, and should, use evidence to learn from the success and failure of other government strategies to reduce territorial inequalities.

Projects

Working environments for healthy ageing: An evidence-driven framework
PI: Professor Paul Cairney
Funded by: Innovate UK

The Scottish Privy Council, 1692-1708: government from Revolution to Union
PI:
Funded by: The Leverhulme Trust

IMAJINE
PI: Professor Paul Cairney
Funded by: European Commission (Horizon 2020)

ESRC GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT BRIEFING
PI: Professor Paul Cairney
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council

Review of Making Life Better Framework
PI: Professor Paul Cairney
Funded by: Institute of Public Health in Ireland

The impact of multi-level policymaking on the UK energy system
PI: Professor Paul Cairney
Funded by: UK Energy Research Centre

The Constitutional Future of Scotland and the United Kingdom
PI:
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council

The Impact of Constitutional Change on the Public Sector in Scotland
PI: Professor Paul Cairney
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council

Outputs (119)

Outputs

Showing 100 of 119 — See all 119 outputs

Book Chapter

Cairney P, Timonina I & Stephan H (2024) What are the prospects of a just transition towards sustainable climate change policies? The search for practical lessons from policy studies.. In: Pandemic Recovery? Reframing and Rescaling Societal Challenges. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 224-237. https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/pandemic-recovery-9781802201109.html


Book Chapter

Kippin S & Cairney P (2023) United Kingdom, Public policy in. In: van Gerven M, Rothmayr Allison C & Schubert K (eds.) Encyclopedia of Public Policy. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90434-0_48-1


Authored Book

Cairney P & Kippin S (2023) Politics and Policy Making in the UK. Bristol: Bristol University Press. https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/politics-and-policymaking-in-the-uk


Commentary

Cairney P (2022) Policy-Making Context Matters, But Can (and Should) It Be Operationalised? Comment on "Stakeholder Perspectives of Attributes and Features of Context Relevant to Knowledge Translation in Health Settings: A Multi-Country Analysis". Commentary on: Squires JE, Hutchinson AM, Coughlin M, et al. Stakeholder perspectives of attributes and features of context relevant to knowledge translation in health settings: a multi-country analysis. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2021. doi:34172/ijhpm.2021.32. International Journal of Health Policy and Management. https://doi.org/10.34172/ijhpm.2022.6819


Authored Book

Cairney P & St Denny E (2020) Why Isn't Government Policy More Preventive?. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/why-isn-t-government-policy-more-preventive-9780198793298?lang=en&cc=nl#


Website Content

Cairney P (2020) Who can you trust during the coronavirus crisis?. Paul Cairney: Politics & Public Policy blog [Blog Post] 19.03.2020. https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/2020/03/19/who-can-you-trust-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/


Article

Laverty AA, Kypridemos C, Seferidi P, Vamos EP, Pearson-Stuttard J, Collins B, Capewell S, Mwatsama M, Cairney P, Fleming K, O'Flaherty M & Millett C (2019) Quantifying the impact of the Public Health Responsibility Deal on salt intake, cardiovascular disease and gastric cancer burdens: Interrupted time series and microsimulation study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 73 (9), pp. 881-887. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2018-211749


Book Review

Cairney P (2017) Economics: Messy genesis of the welfare state. Review of: Bread for All: The Origins of the Welfare State, Chris Renwick, London: Allen Lane, 2017, 336 pp. ISBN: 9780241186688. Nature, 548 (7669), pp. 522-522. https://doi.org/10.1038/548522a


Newspaper / Magazine

Crines AS, Spicer A, Durodie B, Spencer D, Cairney P, Taylor-Gooby P, Murphy R, Scully R, Usherwood S & Dhingra S (2016) Brexit is on: Britain votes to leave the EU – experts respond. The Conversation. 24.06.2016. https://theconversation.com/brexit-is-on-britain-votes-to-leave-the-eu-experts-respond-61576


Edited Book

Geyer R & Cairney P (eds.) (2015) Handbook on Complexity and Public Policy. Handbooks of Research on Public Policy series. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. http://www.e-elgar.com/shop/handbook-on-complexity-and-public-policy


Authored Book

Cairney P & McGarvey N (2013) Scottish Politics. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=569083


Book Chapter

Cairney P & McGarvey N (2013) Pressure Politics and the ‘Scottish Policy Style’. In: Cairney P & McGarvey N (eds.) Scottish Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 154-170. http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=569083


Book Chapter

Cairney P, Studlar DT & Mamudu H (2011) The UK: A Case Study. In: Cairney P, Studlar DT & Mamudu HM (eds.) Global Tobacco Control: Power, Policy, Governance and Transfer. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 99-120. http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=283937


Book Chapter

Cairney P (2011) Punctuated Equilibrium. In: Cairney P (ed.) Understanding Public Policy: Theories and Issues. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 175-199. http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=360100


Book Chapter

Cairney P (2009) New Scottish Parliament, Same Old Interest Group Politics?. In: Jeffrey C & Mitchell J (eds.) The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009: The First Decade. Edinburgh: Luath, pp. 105-112. http://www.luath.co.uk/the-scottish-parliament-1999-2009-the-first-decade.html


See all 119 outputs

Teaching

For each module, I provide a webpage and list of blog posts and podcasts. See for example the MPP and Understanding Public Policy, in which I developed a series of '1000 Words' blog posts https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/1000-words/  and '500 Words' posts with a 'take home message for students' https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/500-words/   I also produced a 'how to' guide for writing policy papers and blog posts https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/writing-a-policy-paper-and-blog-post-polu9uk/  and for writing essays on policy https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/2016/11/23/writing-an-essay-on-politics-policymaking-and-policy-change/

Teaching

POLU9PP
POLU9UK
MPPP01
MPPP03

For each module I provide a webpage and list of blog posts and podcasts.
See for example Policy and Policymaking in the UK here https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/policymaking-in-the-uk/
For the MPP and Understanding Public Policy, I developed a series of '1000 Words' blog posts https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/1000-words/ and am producing some '500 Words' posts with a 'take hom message for students' https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/500-words/
I also produced a 'how to' guide for writing policy papers and blog posts https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/writing-a-policy-paper-and-blog-post-polu9uk/ and for writing essays on policy https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/2016/11/23/writing-an-essay-on-politics-policymaking-and-policy-change/