"Initially published in 1984, John W. Kingdon's Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies has long been classic reading in policy studies. This paper systematically explores its contribution to the analysis of the role of ideas in comparative policy analysis, which has dramatically expanded over the last two decades. Looking at this book about agenda-setting as well as two more recent, and much less cited, chapters by Kingdon, the article explores his perspective on ideas as they relate to the problem, the policy, and the political streams, before addressing crucial issues, such as the role of institutions and the relationship between ideas and interests, that remain central to the current debates within the ever-expanding ideational policy literature. As the article shows, Kingdon's work, including its flaws, makes a powerful and most relevant contribution to the ideational approach to public policy, which is why this article ends with a synthetic agenda for future comparative research on the role of ideas in policy development."

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