Causal Mechanisms: A Growing Methodological Perspective for the Study of Public Policies Mecanismos causales: una perspectiva metodológica en auge para el estudio de las políticas públicas

Abstract

The use of causal mechanisms as a qualitative approach to explain social phenomena is booming. The last decade has seen an increase in production from disciplines such as the Social Sciences and particularly Political Science, which have promoted a mechanistic movement as an alternative to the mainstream based on quantitative and economic analysis. Recently, Public Policy theorists have incorporated this mechanistic perspective into their analysis to explain the process that produces results and to give explanations on what could affect such results. This is with the intention of opening the black box of public policies; however, academic production is still incipient. This article proposes a literature review on causal mechanisms and their approach in the study of public policies in Latin America. Using the Web of Science (WOS) database, we first identify the seminal production on causal mechanisms in different disciplines, mainly in Europe, the United States and Canada. Second, the approach from the Social Sciences is explored. Finally, the discussion focuses on exploring the disciplinary production in the region, to account for the need to incorporate this approach in the study of public policies.