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Words Matter in Public Policy: Reflections on the Special Issue

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  • Maarten A. Hajer

Abstract

Words matter in public policy and politics. But how do we understand the influence of words exactly? Is language a vehicle to express thoughts and ideas, delivering ideas to audiences akin to a conveyor belt? Or does language form ideas in the first place, and is language constitutive of realities, shaping the thoughts of both those who deliver the words and those who listen to the words that are uttered? In a reflection on the special issue, this article (1) discusses the ontological and epistemological differences in studying ‘discourse’ or ‘frames’, arguing that a poststructuralist or constructivist understanding of the role of language has the greater analytical power. It then (2) addresses how we approach ‘The Political’ in European politics, differentiating a constitutional, legal perspective describing institutional rights from seeing ‘The Political’ as discursively constituted itself. It (3) concludes with a few thoughts on the current unravelling of political institutions, lending further weight to the importance of this topic of studying the power of language.

Suggested Citation

  • Maarten A. Hajer, 2026. "Words Matter in Public Policy: Reflections on the Special Issue," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(5), pages 1867-1875, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:64:y:2026:i:5:p:1867-1875
    DOI: 10.1111/jcms.70100
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