Abstract：The adaptation of policies by local governments is a crucial mechanism for ensuring the effective implementation. It is both a practical and theoretical question that under what policy context， taking what adaptation strategy， so as to achieve policy goals while taking into account of the governance goals set by local governments. Based on the studies of 40 local cases， this paper employs qualitative meta-analysis to systematically identify the factors that influence the policy adaptation of local governments and categorize the corresponding adaptation strategies through the process of extracting， coding， and categorizing. On this basis， a conceptual framework for the policy adaptation of local governments is developed. The findings indicate that the policy adaptation behaviors of local governments are influenced collectively by policy attributes as well as external and internal organizational factors. Depending on the specific combinations of these three types of factors in different policy contexts， local governments strategically opt for internal adaptation strategies such as policy translation and structural reshaping alongside external strategies such as upward leverage and social networking. Furthermore， the process of adjusting policies at the local level adheres to principles of organizational adaptation； only when certain conditions are met will local governments proactively adjust their approaches and implement an effective combination of adaptive strategies tailored to specific policy contexts and stages of implementation—thereby facilitating successful policy-making outcomes while achieving efficient governance at the local level.
2025, Vol. 64 
