Journal profile · POLITICAL SCIENCE
Politics & Policy
ISSN 1555-5623 · eISSN 1747-1346 · Wiley-Blackwell
Politics & Policy: CAS Zone 4 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.2 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,900; median 228 days to acceptance (90 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 32% (journal website); 120 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Politics & Policy is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 4 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Electoral Systems and Political Participation, Policy Transfer and Learning and Political Influence and Corporate Strategies, together about 30% of its articles. Its main subfields are Political Science and International Relations. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Politics & Policy is a peer-reviewed journal for scholars in public policy, political science, and comparative and international studies. The editors invite manuscripts offering quality original research that makes a strong theoretical or empirical contribution to existing comparative policy literature, or to policy studies and political science more generally via the use of comparative methods. We consider normative and empirical studies in any area of political science, the public policy spectrum and all levels of the policy process. These include, but are not restricted to: comparative studies in development, democratization, democracy, participation, voting behavior, electoral politics and policy, and security strategy; political studies with a comparative cross-national focus; international relations and comparative foreign policy; analyses of the theory, values, and/or public/political support influencing policy trends, adoption, contestation, or change; policy framing; the challenges, and opportunities facing policy networks; policy design and misdesign. Strong preference will be given to submissions demonstrating a balanced comparative treatment of policy in more than one country. Trans-border, cross-national or wider international research emphasizing a comparative study’s political implications are especially welcome. Manuscripts dealing comparatively with aspects of democracy and democratization, global governance, or policies that transcend, or resist, the advent of porous borders are also actively invited, as are robust review articles on the current state of the literature. Articles should be submitted online via Manuscript Central: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/polpol Special Issue proposals of 5-8 pages should be emailed to the Editors-in-Chief at politics.policy@ipsonet.org Abstracting and Indexing Information Abstracts in Anthropology (Sage) Abstracts on Hygiene & Communicable Diseases (CABI) Academic Search (EBSCO Publishing) Academic Search Alumni Edition (EBSCO Publishing) Academic Search Complete (EBSCO Publishing) Academic Search Elite (EBSCO Publishing) Academic Search Premier (EBSCO Publishing) Criminal Justice Abstracts (EBSCO Publishing) Emerging Sources Citation Index (Clarivate Analytics) Global Health (CABI) InfoTrac (GALE Cengage) MasterFILE Select (EBSCO Publishing) Political Science Complete (EBSCO Publishing) Research Library (ProQuest) SCOPUS (Elsevier) Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics)
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): POLITICAL SCIENCE
Editor-in-chief Emma R. NormanPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 25, United Kingdom 3, Mexico 3, Japan 1, France 1 (35 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Electoral Systems and Political ParticipationSocial Sciences16.5%
- Policy Transfer and LearningSocial Sciences7.7%
- Political Influence and Corporate StrategiesBusiness, Management and Accounting5.9%
- Social Policy and Reform StudiesSocial Sciences5.8%
- Public Policy and Administration ResearchSocial Sciences5.7%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.8%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.6%
- International Development and AidSocial Sciences4.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of SciencePublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.51LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.86LetPub ·
- h-index
- 51OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 340OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.93OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 38.5%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 103LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,562 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 76 | 39 | 12 |
| 2025 | 120 | 68 | 213 |
| 2024 | 81 | 42 | 309 |
| 2023 | 68 | 43 | 464 |
| 2022 | 70 | 20 | 422 |
| 2021 | 66 | 17 | 525 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
228 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 157 days – 303 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 31 days (91 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 268 days
- Sample
- 90 articles with submission and acceptance dates (206 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 32%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 33 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,900 / EUR 2,450 / GBP 1,930 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Submission fee
- No submission fee
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- Chicago
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
Article types accepted19
- book reviewArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- book review essayBook Review Essay As with Book Review, but that evaluate two or more books. 2,500-5,000 words NoLength not stated
- brief reportArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- brief reportsBrief Reports preliminary findings of research in progress or a case report of particular interest 1500 limit Yes Data Availability Statement IRB StatementLength not stated
- case reportArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- commentariesCommentaries Expert opinion from one or more people (who may agree or disagree) on a published work, current understanding/status of an area, or how practice sh…Length not stated
- commentaryArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- comprehensive reviewsComprehensive Reviews critical reviews of the literature, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses 6000 limit YesLength not stated
- editorialArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- letter to the editorArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- meta-analysisArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- opinionArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- original paperArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- original papersOriginal Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge 9500 limit Yes P&P encourages data sha…Length not stated
- perspectiveArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- research notesResearch Notes Brief observations and research reports in a concise format. 5,000-7,000 words No Data Availability StatementLength not stated
- research reportArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- reviewArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
- systematic reviewArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract Other Requirements Original Papers reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- Authorship Authorship
No submission fees. Model summary
All listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript substantially and have agreed to the final submitted version. Review editorial standards and scroll down for a description of authorship criteria.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Availability
Data sharing encouraged. Model summary
This journal encourages data sharing. Review Wiley’s Data Sharing policy where you will be able to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
CC-BY/CC-BY-NC/CC-BY-NC-ND Creative Commons licenses. Model summary
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley’s Copyright Terms & Conditions FAQ.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Hybrid journal: subscription with open access option subject to APC unless waiver applies. Model summary
This journal is a subscription journal that offers an open access option. You’ll have the option to choose to make your article open access after acceptance, which will be subject to an APC, unless a waiver applies. Read more about APCs here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 1. Submission and Peer Review Process
Double-anonymized peer review; papers sent to review only if Editor-in-Chief determines quality and relevance requirements are met. Model summary
New submissions should be made via the Research Exchange submission portal https://authors.wiley.com/journal/PandP. You may check the status of your submission at any time by logging on to submission.wiley.com and clicking the "My Submissions" button. For technical help with the submission system, please review our FAQs or contact submissionhelp@wiley.com. For help with submissions, please contact…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprints accepted; authors may post submitted version to a preprint server at any time. Model summary
This journal accepts articles previously published on preprint servers. P&P will consider for review articles previously available as preprints. You may also post the submitted version of a manuscript to a preprint server at any time.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- ISSN
- 1555-5623
- Electronic ISSN
- 1747-1346
- Society / sponsor
- Policy Studies Organization and the Universidad Iberoamericana
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 54, Issue 5 (October 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Politics & Policy
What CAS zone is Politics & Policy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Politics & Policy is in Zone 4 of Sociology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Political Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Politics & Policy?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 2.2; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 2.8, h-index 51.
How long does peer review take at Politics & Policy?
Based on the dates recorded on 90 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 228 days (interquartile range 157–303 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 32%. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Politics & Policy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: Chicago; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Politics & Policy based?
Of the 35 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (25), United Kingdom (3) and Mexico (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Politics & Policy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Politics & Policy is indexed in ESCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Politics & Policy open access, and what is the APC?
Politics & Policy is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,900.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .