First-generation research on implementation, including the work of Wildavsky
and Pressman, assumed a top-down linear policy process that was
driven by the language of the statute and the intent of elected officials. Topdown
models began with the decisions of policymakers, typically expressed
in statutory language, and worked “down” the policy process. This model
assumed that implementation ought to be a linear process wherein policy
directives are translated into program activities with as little deviation as
possible. It suggests that policymakers are the only important actors and that
organization-level actors serve only to thwart the “correct” implementation
process. First-generation research was largely based on single-site case studies,
and it concentrated on two sources of implementation failure: the content
of the policy and the inability of people and organizations to implement it
precisely. While early first-generation research on implementation laid out
the basics of the study, it was considered methodologically weak as it was
generally atheoretical and case specific.