Current Research

My current research is focused on three broad themes:
Policy Responses to the COVID Pandemic. I am part of a remarkable team of scholars studying a range of policy and behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Risk and Policy Working Group,  (www.riskandsocialpolicy.org/) funded in part by a CONVERGE seed grant from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and by an NSF RAPID grant, has a survey of risk messaging in the field, and we expect to publish results soon. We are also studying the ways in which state and local governments have reacted to the pandemic, the role of federalism in the response to the pandemic, and whether and to what extent state and local governments are learning from this pandemic.

Emergency Response in the Arctic. In research funded by the National Science Foundation's Navigating the New Arctic program, I am part of a team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Alaska at Anchorage, LeMoyne College, and Clemson University, to study how improvements to preparedness and infrastructure might help to respond to maritime emergencies in a warming and busier Arctic. 

Focusing Event Theory. I am best known for my refinement of the concept of "focusing events" in the public policy process, and I am working with graduate students and colleagues to refine and improve this concept. Our goal is to understand why some events seem to lead to better public policy, while other events seem not to have this effect. 

Books

2015. An Introduction to the Policy Process: Theories, Concepts, and Models of Public Policy Making, 4th ed. (New York: Routledge). (Prior editions, 2001, 2005, 2010, M.E. Sharpe)

2006. Lessons of Disaster: Policy Change after Catastrophic Events. (Washington: Georgetown University Press).

​1997. After Disaster: Agenda Setting, Public Policy, and Focusing Events. (Washington: Georgetown University Press).

Learn About My Research

birkland_cv_2020-02-20.pdf
File Size: 246 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
My C.V. is available above. 

My NC State Website is here

My profile on Researchgate is here. 
​
My profile on Google Scholar is here