LIST OF WORKSHOPS

The policy process is characterized by policy actors who are humans, which means they have diverging interests, resources, beliefs, social identities, and perceptions. No matter if they want to put issues on the agenda, influence the formulation or decision of policy proposals, or are concerned with their implementation or evaluation, policy actors rarely will work alone, and often find themselves faced with opponents. At the same time, they are dependent on allies that support them in their objectives.

Within policy processes, different theoretical perspectives explain the identification of allies and opponents and the establishment of ties or conflicts between them. The Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) finds their sources in belief systems (Satoh, Gronow, and Ylä-Anttila 2023, Weible et al. 2019) and recently in expressed emotions (Fullerton and Weible 2024, Gabehart et al. 2023). The Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) relies on character portrayals and narrative storylines to depict allies and opponents via communication (Ruff, Stelmach, and Jones 2022, Merry 2019). The perspective of social identities in the policy process distinguishes different types of social groups that can affect intra- and intergroup relations (Hornung and Bandelow 2024, Hornung, Bandelow, and Vogeler 2018). Besides concrete theoretical frameworks, concepts such as Devil and Angel Shift (Hornung, Fullerton, and Weible 2025, Ksinsik 2024, Sabatier, Hunter, and McLaughlin 1987), there are additional behavioral theories including affective polarization (Dias and Lelkes 2022, Flores et al. 2022), and analyses of policy positions (Vormedal and Meckling 2024) outline the extent to which research on allies and opponents, their formation, their inter-relational dynamics and shifts, as well as their consequences on policy processes, outputs, and outcomes is flourishing. Finally, embedded within all of these theories are different emotions, which are both essential for increasing our understanding of how policy actors make sense of their world (Durnová, 2019),one’s willingness to participate as a member of a participating group (Bondi, 2014; Anderson, 2002), and other dynamics of how policy actors evaluate one another (Fullerton et al., 2025).

This workshop brings together research on the identification of, as well as the interaction and perceptual dynamics among, allies and opponents in policy processes and regarding the per policy outputs, outcomes. We are interested in the following non-exhaustive research questions:

-       How do policy actors identify allies and opponents in policy processes?

-       What are the drivers of their conflict and their cooperation?

-       How do emotions contribute to allies and opponents in policy processes?

-       How do interactions and perceptions change over time? How do they differ across policy sectors and political contexts?

-       When do allies turn into opponents, and vice versa?

-       How do these dynamics influence policy processes, and above all policy change?

-       To what extent are the formation and perception of allies and opponents related to policy outcomes and impact on society?

-       Are there lessons for policy process scholars from behavioral sciences regarding allies and opponents?

The workshop welcomes theoretical and methodological contributions that tackle one or several of the questions above, or related ones. We aim for a maximum of coherence of papers within the workshop to leave open the possibility of organizing a special issue. The agenda for the workshop will include presentations by all authors with in-depth feedback from the panel chairs and other participants.

References

Anderson, D.K. (2002). "A Psychodynamic Analysis of Discourse Theory: Understanding the Influence of Emotions, Regression, and Change." Administrative Theory and Praxis 24(10): 3-24.

Bondi, L. (2014). “Understanding Feelings: Engaging with Unconscious Communication and Embodied Knowledge.” Emotion, Space and Society 10 (February): 44–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2013.03.009.

Dias, Nicholas, and Yphtach Lelkes. 2022. "The Nature of Affective Polarization: Disentangling Policy Disagreement from Partisan Identity."  American Journal of Political Science 66 (3):775-790. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12628.

Durnová, A. (2019). Understanding Emotions in Post-Factual Politics. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788114820

Flores, Alexandra, Jennifer C. Cole, Stephan Dickert, Kimin Eom, Gabriela M. Jiga-Boy, Tehila Kogut, Riley Loria, Marcus Mayorga, Eric J. Pedersen, Beatriz Pereira, Enrico Rubaltelli, David K. Sherman, Paul Slovic, Daniel Västfjäll, and Leaf Van Boven. 2022. "Politicians polarize and experts depolarize public support for COVID-19 management policies across countries."  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119 (3):e2117543119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2117543119.

Fullerton, Allegra H., and Christopher M. Weible. 2024. "Examining emotional belief expressions of advocacy coalitions in Arkansas' gender identity politics."  Policy Studies Journal. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12531.

Fullerton, A. H., Durnová, A., & Weible, C. M. (2025). Characterizing allies and opponents in gender policy debates. Review of Policy Research, ropr.70009.

Gabehart, Kayla M., Allegra H. Fullerton, Anna M. Crawford, and Christopher M. Weible. 2023. "How are Emotions and Beliefs Expressed in Legislative Testimonies? An Advocacy Coalition Approach."  Review of Policy Research n/a (n/a). doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12562.

Hornung, Johanna, and Nils C. Bandelow. 2024. "Social identities, emotions and policy preferences."  Policy & Politics 35 (1):178–199. doi: 10.1332/03055736Y2024D000000036.

Hornung, Johanna, Nils C. Bandelow, and Colette S. Vogeler. 2018. "Social identities in the policy process."  Policy Sciences 52 (2):211-231. doi: 10.1007/s11077-018-9340-6.

Hornung, Johanna, Allegra H. Fullerton, and Christopher M. Weible. 2025. "Devil and angel shifts in collective action: A call for integration and improvements."  Policy Studies Journal n/a (n/a). doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.70018.

Ksinsik, Jule. 2024. "The devil-angel shift in times of crisis: How Swiss scientists used policy narratives during the COVID-19 pandemic."  European Policy Analysis n/a (n/a). doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/epa2.1228.

Merry, Melissa K. 2019. "Angels versus Devils: The Portrayal of Characters in the Gun Policy Debate."  Policy Studies Journal 47 (4):882-904. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12207.

Ruff, Jonathan W. A., Gregory Stelmach, and Michael D. Jones. 2022. "Space for Stories: Legislative Narratives and the Establishment of the US Space Force."  Policy Sciences 55 (3):509-553. doi: 10.1007/s11077-022-09455-5.

Sabatier, Paul, Susan Hunter, and Susan McLaughlin. 1987. "The Devil Shift: Perceptions and Misperceptions of Opponents."  The Western Political Quarterly 40 (3):449-476. doi: 10.2307/448385.

Satoh, Keiichi, Antti Gronow, and Tuomas Ylä-Anttila. 2023. "The Advocacy Coalition Index: A New Approach for Identifying Advocacy Coalitions."  Policy Studies Journal 51 (1):187-207. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12450.

Vormedal, Irja, and Jonas Meckling. 2024. "How foes become allies: the shifting role of business in climate politics."  Policy Sciences 57 (1):101-124. doi: 10.1007/s11077-023-09517-2.

Weible, Christopher M., Karin Ingold, Daniel Nohrstedt, Adam Douglas Henry, and Hank C. Jenkins‐Smith. 2019. "Sharpening Advocacy Coalitions."  Policy Studies Journal 48 (4):1054-1081. doi: 10.1111/psj.12360.

Policy actors rarely operate in isolation. Whether shaping agendas, influencing decisions, or implementing and evaluating policies, they navigate complex networks of allies and opponents. This workshop invites scholars to explore how these relationships form, evolve, their emotional underpinnings, and how they impact policy processes and outcomes.

We welcome theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions that examine the identification and dynamics of allies and opponents in public policy. Drawing from frameworks such as the Advocacy Coalition Framework, Narrative Policy Framework, emotion theories and Social Identity Theory as well as concepts such as the Angel and Devil Shift, and affective polarization, we welcome theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions that examine the identification and dynamics of allies and opponents in public policy. Drawing from frameworks such as the Advocacy Coalition Framework, Narrative Policy Framework, emotion theories and Social Identity Theory as well as concepts such as the Angel and Devil Shift, and affective polarization, Importantly, embedded within all of these theories are different emotions, which are both essential for increasing our understanding of how policy actors make sense of their world one’s willingness to participate as a member of a participating group, and other dynamics of how policy actors evaluate one another. This workshop seeks to deepen our understanding of intergroup relations, emotional expressions, and strategic positioning in policy contexts.

Key Questions Include:

-       How do policy actors identify allies and opponents in policy processes?

-       What are the drivers of their conflict and their cooperation?

-       How do emotions contribute to allies and opponents in policy processes?

-       How do interactions and perceptions change over time? How do they differ across policy sectors and political contexts?

-       When do allies turn into opponents, and vice versa?

-       How do these dynamics influence policy processes, and above all policy change?

-       To what extent are the formation and perception of allies and opponents related to policy outcomes and impact on society?

We aim to foster coherence among papers to support the potential development of a special issue. The workshop will feature presentations as well as in-depth feedback from chairs and participants, encouraging constructive dialogue and collaboration.

We are seeking abstracts for ideas that examine the relational and/or emotional foundations of policy processes. We especially encourage interdisciplinary approaches and innovative methodologies that push the boundaries of current policy scholarship.

How do actors identify allies and opponents? What drives conflict and cooperation, and how do these dynamics vary across policy sectors and contexts? Under what conditions do allies become opponents and vice versa? How do emotions influence how policy actors engage with each other? How do these shifts influence policy processes and broader societal impacts?

The policy process is shaped by human actors whose diverse interests, resources, beliefs, social identities, perceptions, and emotions guide their behavior. Whether attempting to place issues on the agenda, shape policy proposals, win policy debates, or oversee implementation, these actors are simultaneously dependent on allies and challenged by opponents. Understanding how alliances and conflicts emerge, evolve, and impact policymaking is therefore central to the study of policy processes. This workshop brings together papers that examine the identification, interaction, and perceptual dynamics of allies and opponents across political contexts.

Multiple frameworks and theories offer valuable lenses for investigating these dynamics. We are interested in applications that draw inspiration from the Advocacy Coalition Framework, emotions, Social Identity Theory, Narrative Policy Framework, Policy Conflict Framework, collaborative governance, and others that add insight to our understanding of allies and opponents. We are also interested in policy studies that bridge into the behavioral sciences, including but not limited to psychological or sociological theories. We welcome studies that underscore actors’ (mis)perceptions including Devil Shift and Angel Shift applications as well as other means to analyze policy positions to provide further insights into how alliances and antagonisms are constructed or shift over time.

By bringing together diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives, the panel aims to advance a dynamic view of the policy process that links micro-level perceptions with macro-level consequences. Presentations will receive in-depth feedback with the goal of fostering coherence across contributions and exploring the potential for a special issue publication.

Allegra H. Fullerton is a senior researcher at the Center for Policy and Democracy at the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs, where she leads several research initiatives. Her research has been published in leading journals, including the Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Journal, and International Review of Public Policy. Her work focuses on policy theories, the intersection of emotions and politics, community resilience in the face of marginalization, and coalitional dynamics (including allies and opponents). She is a recognized “Best Lecturer” at CU Denver, and at the School of Public Affairs, she teaches courses on policy processes, democracy, and negotiation. She serves on the organizing committee for the Conference for Policy Process Research and is the Digital Associate Editor for Policy and Politics.

Johanna Hornung is an assistant professor in public policy at the Institute of Political Studies at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Her research interests focus on actor-centered explanations of policymaking, such as the role of social groups, beliefs, and emotions, as well as the relevance of scientists and scientific evidence in policy processes. She applies different methodological approaches and teaches courses on public policy and public administration at both the BA and MA levels. She is the general co-editor of the journals European Policy Analysis (EPA) and Review of Policy Research (RPR). Her research has been published in leading journals in the field, such as Policy Studies Journal (PSJ), Policy & Politics, and Policy and Society.

Christopher M. Weible is the Interim Dean and a University of Colorado Distinguished Professor at the School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Center for Policy and Democracy (CPD). He teaches courses in environmental politics, public policy and democracy, policy analysis, and research methods and design. Recent and current research includes studying policy conflicts, the role of emotions in public discourse, the politics involving marginalized communities, and patterns and explanations of advocacy coalitions, learning, and policy change. He has published over a hundred articles and book chapters and has secured millions of dollars in external research funding. He is the former editor for Policy Studies Journal, International Review of Public Policy, and Policy & Politics. His book volumes include Theories of the Policy Process, Methods of the Policy Process, Policy Debates in Hydraulic Fracturing, The Advocacy Coalition Framework, Practical Lessons from Policy Theories, and Transformational Change in Public Policy. He holds an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy and is a Guest Professor at the Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden. He is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer.