Grounded Normative Theory Contributions to Understanding and Intervening in Public Policymaking

Abstract This chapter explores how grounded normative theory (GNT) can strengthen both research on and engagement with policymaking. Through interviews with policymakers and other methods, GNT practitioners can elucidate normative problems, assess empirical claims, and highlight obstacles to advancing principled commitments. These insights enable scholars to intervene in public policymaking, through activities such as clarifying policy debates, participating in policymaking institutions, and supporting the inclusion of marginalized groups. Grounded normative theory commitments to epistemological inclusion and accountability provide useful ethical guidelines for such interventions, helping scholars navigate risks such as co-option, unintended consequences, and misrepresentation. While acknowledging practical and institutional challenges faced by scholars who engage in public policymaking, the chapter argues that GNT approaches can enhance the analytical quality, social impact, and ethical rigor of such interventions. An engaged community of theorists can provide crucial support for scholars who pursue this work.