by Shiran Victoria Shen
In a world facing climate crises, pandemics, and geopolitical shifts, governments must embrace bold policy innovation. Scholars have long examined the drivers of policy change—ranging from economic conditions to policy diffusion and entrepreneurial leadership. Yet, one critical but underexplored factor is political will.
In my recent Policy Studies Journal article, I argue that political will is a key driver of drastic policy innovation—policy changes so bold that they redefine governmental priorities and novel policy instruments that any jurisdiction has rarely tested in the country. Using China’s low-carbon city experimentation as a case study, I show that strong political will among local leaders significantly increased the likelihood of drastically innovative climate policy measures being adopted and implemented.
What Is Political Will?
Political will is the commitment of key decision-makers (i.e., elected politicians in democracies or political leaders in autocracies) to enact and implement policies, even at political or financial risk. It consists of three key components:
- Authority – The power to enact and enforce policies
- Capacity – The fiscal, human, and administrative resources to implement them effectively
- Legitimacy – Stakeholder acceptance, which is crucial for garnering support and reducing resistance
Political will is distinct from political power. While power provides the means, political will determines whether leaders use that power to drive bold policy change.
How Political Will Shapes Drastic Policy Innovation
China’s low-carbon city pilot provides a suitable setting to study political will. Unlike many centrally led pilots, this initiative required cities to voluntarily apply and commit their own resources. My research examines the second batch of pilot cities, which were selected based on leadership engagement, demonstrability, and locally driven decarbonization strategies.
Political will is gauged by the Leader of the Low-Carbon City Construction Leading Group (LCCLG). I found that cities where the prefectural party secretary—the highest-ranking local official—steered the LCCLG were significantly more likely to introduce and implement drastically innovative climate policies. These leaders not only set ambitious goals but also effectively mobilized resources and overcame bureaucratic resistance. In contrast, cities where their low-carbon city pilots were led by lower-ranking officials demonstrated a weaker commitment, resulting in fewer innovative policies proposed or implemented.
Why Institutionalizing Political Will Matters
A critical insight from my study is that when political will is institutionalized, policy innovation persists despite leadership turnover. In China, this was achieved through LCCLGs, which maintained policy continuity even when key officials changed.
This challenges the conventional wisdom that leadership changes disrupt policy innovation. Instead, embedding political will within the leadership structure sustains transformative policy efforts over time.
Lessons for Policymakers Worldwide
Although my case study focuses on China, the implications extend beyond authoritarian regimes. In democracies, political will is shaped by electoral incentives, coalition-building, and public advocacy, requiring a different approach to measurement. In authoritarian states, political will aligns closely with leader rank and authority, whereas in democracies, multiple veto points necessitate a broader set of variables.
Yet the core principle remains: bold policy innovation depends on committed leadership willing to take risks and overcome resistance.
For policymakers and scholars, political will should be explicitly considered as a critical driver of policy innovation. Whether tackling climate change, public health, or economic shock, fostering and institutionalizing political will enables governments to implement transformative policies that endure.
You can read the original article in Policy Studies Journal at
Shen, Shiran Victoria. 2025. “ Political Will As a Source of Policy Innovation.” Policy Studies Journal 53(1): 185–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12571.
About the Author
Shiran Victoria Shen is a senior research scholar and the lead for the China Energy Program at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Her research examines how incentives and institutions shape climate and environmental actions. More broadly, she is interested in key issues in public policy and governance.
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