From There to Here: Punctuated Equilibrium to the General Punctuation Thesis to a Theory of Government

In this introduction to the Policy Study Journal’s special issue on punctuated equilibrium, we provide an overview of the approach, how it evolved, some of the major critiques directed at it, and some of the major developments it has spawned. We argue that the most important aspect of a theory or framework is not whether it is right or wrong, but the extent to which it is fruitful; that is, the extent to which it stimulated further research. Finally, we review the articles in this issue and put them in context. We are very pleased that the editors of the Policy Studies Journal chose to highlight Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) in this special issue. We hope that the quality and the intellectual and empirical breadth of these articles validate their decision. In this introductory essay, we provide an overview of PET, how it evolved, some of the criticisms of the approach (which themselves stimulated more work), and some of the major developments it has spawned. Perhaps the most important aspect of a theory or framework (see Ostrom, PSJ special issue on Institutional Analysis and Development [IAD] for a discussion of the distinctions) is not whether it is right or wrong, or even whether it organizes research around a theme. We think it centers on the extent to which the idea is fruitful, by which we mean the extent t