Public Policy Networks Research Articles

Global Public Policy Networks and Child Labor in the Brazilian Shoe Industry

Global Public Policy Networks and Child Labor in the Brazilian Shoe Industry

Constructive Pressures And Incentives To Reform: Globalization and its impact on public sector performance and governance in developing countries

Contrary to widespread pessimism regarding the effects of globalization on nation states and the quality of governance in developing countries, this contribution stresses that several of its features can be made instrumental, and be beneficial, in terms of public policy making and state capability. Four ‘constructive pressures’ stemming from globalization could be seized constructively by citizens and governments in the developing world: First, better informed and better connected citizens, and an emerging global civil society, demand improvements in service delivery, transparency, and participation. Second, subnational governments, often backed by local NGOs and businesses, and keen to attract foreign investment, increasingly exert pressure vis-à-vis central governments. Third, global investment strategies by private businesses increase the demand for appropriate institutional arrangements within developing countries as well as credible government policies. Although with mixed results, forth, International Organizations, in particular IFIs, have been addressing public sector modernization in developing countries, also sponsoring global public policy networks in critical areas. Moreover, policy coordination and cooperation among states increases significantly, constraining arbitrary action by governments. Globalization, thus, advances the discussion about, and the demand for, new institutional arrangements, clearly with new opportunities for improvements in state capability and governance.

The Role of Interested Groups in England's Emerging Tourism Policy Network

The role of interested groups within English tourism policy development has increased considerably in recent years. There are several possible explanations for this, including changing government policy styles, the perception of the importance of tourism to the national economy, and the developing sophistication of a tourism policy network. This paper reviews the role of interested groups and the nature of tourism policy development in England within the context of a theoretical discussion on public policy analysis, policy styles and policy networks. It specifically reports on the relationship between the tourism interest groups and government, and the mechanisms used by them to influence policy development. The paper shows that the tourism policy network can be characterised as immature. It has government at its centre directing strategic policy, with two sub-networks concentrating on the detail of commercial tourism and tourism resource policy. Within these sub-networks are dominant and secondary players defined as such by the manner in which they use their resources, gain access to decision-makers, collaborate with like-minded groups and work with government bureaucracy.

The 2001 Public Policy Network Conference

The 2001 Public Policy Network Conference

Inter-firm network policies and firm performance: evaluating the impact of initiatives in the United Kingdom

This paper explores the strengths and weaknesses of inter-firm networks as a public policy resource, that has necessarily required experimentation and adaptation. The focus of the paper is an evaluation of public policy network initiatives in the United Kingdom from the point of view of the companies participating in these initiatives. The study finds that inter-firm network initiatives have faced a number of problems, resulting in the level of inter-firm interaction being generally fairly low and unintensive. This has severely limited the number of firms that have benefited from participation, as well as the overall impact on firm performance and growth. More positively, it is shown that the initiatives have resulted in substantial gains for albeit a small number of participating companies. The small number of companies achieving substantial benefits were most often those involved in initiatives that were able to formalise sustainable networks. The key policy problem is that this situation has occurred in only a very restricted number of circumstances, with formal network initiatives being subject to extremely high ‘drop-out’ rates. It is suggested that policies aimed at formal network initiatives should be abandoned as a mechanism for creating a critical mass of sustainable networks. Instead, the progression of policy models based on informal initiatives appears to offer the most plausible means of catalysing inter-company contact.

Public Management and Policy Networks

In this article we address the elaboration of the central concepts of a theory of networks and of network management. We suggest that the network approach builds on several theoretical traditions. After this we clarify the theoretical concepts and axioms of the policy network approach and argue that this framework has important explanatory power both on the level of strategic interaction processes as well as on the level of institutional relations. We argue that government's special resources and its unique legitimacy as representative of the common Interest make it the outstanding candidate for fulfilling the role of network manager, a role which means arranging and facilitating interaction processes within networks In such a way that problems of under or non representation are properly addressed and interests are articulated and dealt with in an open, transparent and balanced manner.

PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND POLICY NETWORKS: Foundations of a network approach to governance

PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND POLICY NETWORKS: Foundations of a network approach to governance

The Other World Wide Web: Global Public Policy Networks

Whining is a central feature of the debate on how best to meet the challenges of globalization. Traditional political institutions, we are told, are ever less capable of dealing with all the problems that lie ahead. The nation-state? Passe. International organizations? A story of failure rather than success. There are few newspaper or journal contributions that do not leave us with a certain sense of helplessness. Is this a form of millennial depression? By concentrating on these old and well-worn stories, we may be missing a quiet revolution. Equating political change with political institutions masks a simple truth: Individuals and groups, not bureaucracies or formal institutions, drive innovation and learning. Change is a bottom-up process, not a top-down steering committee. The advent of global public policy networks is a case in point. These networks are loose alliances of government agencies, international organizations, corporations, and elements of civil society such as nongovernmental organizations, professional associations, or religious groups that join together to achieve what none can accomplish on its own. Surveys by the World Bank in 1999 identified some 50 dif-

The Formation of Policy Networks

This article attempts to explain why actors form policy networks of information and exchange contacts, and how the institutional settings of public decision-making affect policy network formation. In their empirical analysis of the formation of four different policy networks in the German labour-policy domain, the authors examine actors' choice of mutual contacts resting on similarity of preferences on political events and test the importance of either formal procedural settings or common sector membership for information and exchange network formation. The choice of policy network contacts is shown to be primarily determined by the similarity of actors' preferences. However, this is qualified by institutional settings.

Seeking to Inspire Public Policy Analysts

The 1997 Public Policy Network Conference was held at Melbourne University's Centre for Public Policy. John Chesterman, one of the organisers, provides a taste of the debates.The 1998 Public Policy Network Conference will be held at Victoria University, Wellington, on 29 and 30 January. Enquires or offers of papers may be forwarded to Dr RJ Gregory (e‐mail Bob.Gregory@vuw.ac.nz).

Consumer Contract Governance in a Deregulating Japan

This article analyses patterns of governance - how public and private policy networks are managed - in consumer contracts in a deregulating Japan. It outlines the structure of Japan's service industry and consumer problems, before considering the framework for a juridical intervention, bureaucratic regulation and pressures for further legislative activity. As the question of how to curb excesses of power in a deregulated environment governed by multiple agents become more acute, consumer governance seems likely to change, and with it the utility of current theories of how law operates in Japan.

Re‐appraising Public Policy Report on the 6th Annual Conference of the Public Policy Network — a research group attached to the Structure and Organisation of Government Research Committee of the International Political Science Association, 1–2 February 1996, Hobart

Australian Journal of Public AdministrationVolume 55, Issue 2 p. 110-112 Re-appraising Public Policy Report on the 6th Annual Conference of the Public Policy Network — a research group attached to the Structure and Organisation of Government Research Committee of the International Political Science Association, 1–2 February 1996, Hobart Judith Homeshaw, Judith Homeshaw Department of Political Science University of TasmaniaSearch for more papers by this author Judith Homeshaw, Judith Homeshaw Department of Political Science University of TasmaniaSearch for more papers by this author First published: June 1996 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8500.1996.tb01212.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume55, Issue2June 1996Pages 110-112 RelatedInformation

Pressure, power and policy: state autonomy and policy networks in Britain and the United States

Pressure groups and policy-making pluralism, corporatism and Marxism - the traditional approaches to state-group relations policy networks and state autonomy - new approaches to state-group relations social change, political ideology and pressure group - how policy networks change agricultural policy - the paradigm policy community business and public policy - the problem of business policy networks professional power - the doctors and health policy public interest groups and policy networks - the case of consumers pressure groups, policy communities and the state.

Usable Knowledge: Social Science and Social Problem Solving.Charles E. Lindblom , David K. Cohen

<i>Usable Knowledge: Social Science and Social Problem Solving.</i>Charles E. Lindblom , David K. Cohen