Political and Technical Information Exchange in Adversarial Policy Networks (WITHDRAWN)

Abstract

Information exchange is one of the essential elements of learning processes in policy subsystems or networks. The role of scientific and technical information in structuring policy subsystems or networks is a foundational tenet of the Advocacy Coalition Framework. Previous research focuses on trust and political influence as drivers of information exchange between actors in networks or subsystems. Few studies examine how low levels of trust and political power disparity, common in adversarial policy networks, are associated with information exchange. Using the quadratic assignment procedure multiple regression, we analyze political and technical information flows in an adversarial local hydraulic fracturing policy network in New York. We found that low levels of trust between policy actors increase political information exchange, and a larger power disparity constraints political information exchange, despite existing informal collaborative relationships. Also, low levels of trust strengthen technical information exchange between collaborative actors in the network. These findings extend research on policy networks and ACF scholarship by pinpointing novel contingencies of political and technical information exchange in an adversarial network.