Johanna Kuenzler

Welcome to my website. My name is Johanna Kuenzler, I am a political scientist with a primary interest in public policy and public administration. Specifically, I focus on narratives in the policy process and on political dynamics of policy implementation. Empirically, I mainly investigate social and agricultural policy.

I work as a research associate at the University of Speyer (GE). On this website, you find information on my research, publications and career. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

Narrative Policy Framework

Johanna Kuenzler

Research & Projects

Narrative Policy Framework

The Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) is an emergent theory of the policy process that explores the role of strategic political communication via narratives. I contribute both to the theoretical and empirical development of the framework, for example by conceptualizing the fundamental distinction between substance and process in narrative content (see here) or by mapping recent advances of the NPF research community (see here).

Organizational Reputation

The crucial role that reputation plays not only for private, but also public organizations, has only recently drawn the attention of public administration scholars. In my research, I explore societal dynamics that unfold around an organization’s reputation (see here) and the implications of such dynamics for an organization’s legitimacy (see here).

Agriculture and Food Systems

Food production is a central task of modern societies that faces many challenges, such as pressures arising from climate change or consumer concerns regarding sustainability and animal welfare. My research helps to answer these challenges by mapping societal debates and policy instrument catalogues as well as by providing policy advice to decision makers (see here).

Methodological Approach

Methods are not an end in themselves but need to serve answering research questions in the most effective and efficient way. Based on this conviction, I apply a diversity of qualitative and quantitative methods in my research. My expertise lies especially in qualitative approaches such as content analysis and interviews (see here). Furthermore, I am versed in set-theoretic methods such as Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA; see here).

Selected Publications

Articles in Peer Reviewed Journals

Kuenzler, J. (2024). When Outsiders Step In: Investigating the Phenomenon of Reputational Support. Administration & Society, early online, 1-27. [LINK]

Stauffer, B., Sager, F., & Kuenzler, J. (2023). Public agency resilience in times of democratic backsliding: Structure, collaboration and professional standards. Governance, early online, 1-20. [LINK]

Kuenzler, J., & Stauffer, B. (2022). Policy dimension: A new concept to distinguish substance from process in the Narrative Policy Framework. Policy Studies Journal, early online, 1-22. [LINK]

Schlaufer, C., Kuenzler, J., Jones, M. D., & Shanahan, E. A. (2022). The Narrative Policy Framework: A Traveler’s Guide to Policy Stories. Politische Vierteljahresschrift, 63(2), 249-273. [LINK]

Edited Special Issue for Peer Reviewed Journal

Stauffer, B., & Kuenzler, J. (2021). Introduction—Stories of the Old World: The Narrative Policy Framework in the European Context. European Policy Analysis, 7(S2), 268-275. [LINK]

Chapters in Edited Books

Kuenzler, J. (2018). The Hard Case for Learning: Explaining the Diversity of Swiss Tobacco Advertisement Bans. In C. A. Dunlop, C. M. Radaelli, & P. Trein (Eds.), International Series on Public Policy. Learning in Public Policy: Analysis, Modes and Outcomes (1st ed., pp. 267-294). Springer International Publishing; Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan. [LINK]

Sager, F., Kuenzler, J., & Lutz, P. (2017). Das politische System der Schweiz und seine Kontaktpunkte zur Evaluation. In F. Sager, T. Widmer, & A. Balthasar (Eds.), NZZ Libro: Band 5. Evaluation im politischen System der Schweiz: Entwicklung, Bedeutung und Wechselwirkungen (pp. 23-48). Neue Zürcher Zeitung AG.

See my CV for full list of publications.