A Study on the Formulation of the Biden Administration's Semiconductor Policy Toward China Through the Lens of the Multiple Streams Framework ( MSF )

Tensions between Washington and Beijing have escalated over economic, technological, geopolitical, and diplomatic issues. On October 7, 2022, the Biden administration introduced extensive export controls aimed at restricting China's access to semiconductor chips manufactured with U.S. tools. These measures signal a potential paradigm shift in U.S. technology export policy, akin to the changes of the 1990s. While the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) has been widely applied to domestic policy domains such as education and health, its use in analyzing foreign policy remains limited. This article applies the MSF theory to examine the Biden administration's semiconductor policy toward China, which exhibits a dual nature, encompassing both domestic and foreign policy dimensions due to the significant economic interests of U.S. semiconductor companies in China. By employing the MSF, this study clarifies distinctions in policy formulation analysis between foreign and domestic contexts and provides insights into the dual nature of policies analyzed through the MSF framework. Related Articles Bache, I. 2025. “The Multiple Streams Framework and Non‐Politicized Issues: The Case of Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide.” Politics & Policy 53, no. 1: e70016. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.70016 . Angervil, G. 2021. “A Comprehensive Application of Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework: An Analysis of the Obama Administration's No Child Left Behind Waiver Policy.” Politics & Policy 49, no. 5: 980–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12432 . Rawat, P. and J. C. Morris. 2016. “Kingdon's ‘Streams’ Model at Thirty: Still Relevant in the 21st Century?” Politics & Policy 44, no. 4: 608–638. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12168 .