Fryar, AlisaBell, Elizabeth2019-07-232019-07-232019-07https://hdl.handle.net/11244/321043Drawing on theory from political science, policy process, and policy analysis/evaluation, this project investigates the different streams by which policy design influences the effectiveness of tuition-free college initiatives. My dissertation takes a different approach than previous literature by drawing connections across literature in policy process theory and public administration—including the social construction of target populations, administrative burden, and street-level bureaucracy—to formulate a holistic policy design framework. The central contention of my dissertation is that there are three main pathways through which policy design influences the success or failure of policy: political, administrative, and operational. First, I argue that there is a fundamental tension between the most politically advantageous and the most effective policy design, with risk averse policymakers often choosing the former to remain in line with perceptions of fairness among the public. Second, I find that politically motivated policy designs are translated through administrative agencies by bureaucrats that exercise uneven uses of discretionary power, which translates to inequities in access to free college programs. Third, I find that the alignment of policy tools and eligibility requirements with client needs structure who benefits and who loses, which meaningfully impacts whether policy outcomes are aligned with policy goals. Together, this project leverages public policy and public administration theories on the social construction of target populations, administrative burden and street-level bureaucracy to better understand the conditions under which politically shaped governmental policies aimed at extending the ladder of opportunity will meaningfully reduce inequality in college access and success.Higher Education PolicySocial EquityPolicy DesignPublic Management