Applying Policy Network Theory to the Decision Making Process of the Three Gorges Dam Project

Abstract

Policy networks theory has been used a lot to analyze concrete policy in western countries and many Chinese scholars also try to interpret policy networks theory. Till now, most of the Chinese scholars focus on how policy network was organized and what’s the function of those actors. There is less research about how the actors’ interaction process affects the policy outcomes. The authors regard policy network as a multi-actor game, policy making process is the process that actors keep on interacting with each other. They use the Three Gorges Dam project as a case; to analyze the whole policy making process and they try to find what factors affect the actors decision and why it take so long to make the final decision. The authors conclude that besides external factors, like war, culture revolution, two other major factors inside the policy networks cause the delay of the decision making process.