Aims

Governmentality, Pluralism and Public Policy is an international academic journal publishing critical, interdisciplinary, and evidence-based studies on how technologies of power operate, how pluralism unfolds, and how public policy processes develop within increasingly complex contemporary societies.

The journal is grounded in Michel Foucault’s governmentality framework, which understands power not merely as a coercive instrument of the state, but as a network of practices, rationalities, and techniques that shape subjects, institutions, and policies. This perspective is integrated with contemporary public policy studies that position policy as an arena of contestation, negotiation, and authority reproduction.

The journal aims to bridge governmentality analysis with transformative public policy studies, recognizing that policy is never neutral but always shaped by power relations, competing interests, and plural forms of authority.

As a globally oriented journal attentive to postcolonial and Global South contexts, it is committed to:

• Advancing decolonized public policy analysis through integration of governmentality, postcolonial, and decolonial frameworks.
• Producing critical and applicable knowledge on policy processes within plural societies.
• Bridging theory and practice to inform institutional reform and equitable governance.
• Amplifying Global South scholarship as substantive theoretical contributions.
• Strengthening the science–policy interface among scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.

Scope

The journal welcomes theoretically rigorous and methodologically sound studies addressing power, pluralism, and public policy. Areas include, but are not limited to:

1. Governmentality and Policy Rationalities
   Analysis of how governing rationalities shape policy design and implementation, including governance technologies such as regulation, surveillance, and audit systems.
2. Pluralism and Authority Contestation
   Studies on how pluralism influences policy processes and generates contestation among state, religious, and community authorities.
3. Religious Policy and Normative Authority
   Examinations of state–religion relations and the role of religious authority in policymaking.
4. Indigenous Governance and Resource Policy
   Research on indigenous knowledge, customary governance, and environmental policy.
5. Policy Implementation and Resistance
   Studies on how policies are interpreted, negotiated, and resisted in practice.
6. Institutional Reform and Local Governance
   Analyses of decentralization, governance reform, and local political dynamics.
7. Contemporary Global Policy Challenges
   Research on policy responses to global issues such as climate change and digital governance.
8. Postcolonial and Decolonial Policy Studies
   Contributions that challenge dominant frameworks and develop Global South perspectives.

Methodological Approaches

The journal welcomes diverse methodologies including policy ethnography, discourse analysis, comparative studies, and mixed methods, emphasizing rigor, reflexivity, and transparency.

Types of Manuscripts

• Research Articles (7,000–10,000 words)
• Theoretical Essays (6,000–9,000 words)
• Review Articles
• Case Studies
• Policy Analysis Papers
• Special Issue Papers

All submissions must be written in academic English and undergo double-blind peer review by at least two reviewers.

Target Scholarly Community

The journal is intended for scholars and practitioners across disciplines including political science, sociology, anthropology, law, public administration, development studies, political ecology, and related fields.