ABSTRACT
The explanatory power of one analytic variable over others in the analysis of social policy development is likely to vary according to the choice of the timeframe in which a particular policy episode is investigated. Because social policy change unfolds over substantial stretches of time, analytic variables at work will expose varying degrees of significance at different points in time. A social policy episode within a specific and confined time horizon is likely to signify a particular set of variables while underplaying other sets of variables which may well be crucial if the time-horizon is extended. In order to capture key moments when specific policy developments are pushed through, therefore, it is imperative to examine the pathway of the social provisions which extend over a long-term course of development, often through different political regimes.
