introduction to governance, politics & policy, week 2: the process & its participants

8/8/2019 Introduction to Governance, Politics & Policy, Week 2: The Process & its Participants

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/introduction-to-governance-politics-policy-week-2-the-process-its-participants 1/35

Introduction to Governance,Politics & Policy

Week 2: The Process & its Participants



Maastricht Graduate School of Governance

Announcements

• QM Group 5b: now in TS53 B1.05 (all

Tuesdays)

• QM Group 6b: now in TS53 B3.02 (all

Tuesdays)

• IGPP Group 2: Kap2 1.009 (only today)

• Demos: Additional QM Tutorials (see Eleum)

– You can offer/request additional tuition on thediscussion board




Agenda

• Reflections on last week’s tutorials

– Definitions of governance

• Governance as a process

– Actors in government

– Actors outside of government

• Mid-term paper: task and discussion




How are you doing?

• Discussion is good. Make sure you get to aconsensus conclusion, though.

• Got a contribution? Do contribute. (And invite

contributions by all.)• Don’t be intimidated by people with a knowledge

advantage. Profit from them!

• You are reading widely: excellent!

• Feel free to go back to prior tasks.

• What should you prepare?

• How will this be tested?




Pick-up from the groups

• Nation. State. Nation-state.

• Definitions of governance.

• Markets.• Government = State? Executive?

• Governance: is it a new concept or a

new term?




Definitions of “governance”

• Governance = activity of governing; itcovers the whole range of institutionsand relationships involved in theprocess of governing

• „Governance“ is what „government“does; Government is the body where

as governance is a flexible process ingoverning and steering the state





• It’s the process of governing, of steering the society, of supplyingdirection.

• World Bank: the exercise of politicalauthority and the use of institutionalresources to manage society’s

problems and affairs





• Hyden: Is the stewardship of formaland informal political rules of thegame. Governance refers to thosemeasures that involve setting the rulesfor the exercise of power and settlingconflicts over such rules.




DISAGREE WITH US!AND THE LITERATURE. AND YOURSELVES.

By all means




Reminder: Questions? Problems?

• Use the courtesy phone

"• Dial 84712

• Or 043 388 47 12 from your mobile




Definitions

• Public-Policy Making: set of processes

1. Setting the agenda

2. Specifying alternatives

3. Choice among alternatives(authoritative?)

4. Implementation

• Failure can occur at any point• Step 3 often the focus




Definitions

• Agenda

– List of subjects or problems

– Receiving serious attention

– By actors inside and near government

– At any point in time

• Governmental vs. decision agenda




Opening the black box

• Actors within government

– The executive branch (in Kingdon:

~Administration)

– Civil servants

– Parliament




Administration: The President

• Great influence on the agenda

– Center of attention

– Control over resources

– Nomination of key actors

– Benefits of hierarchical structure

• Influence over agenda ≠ influence over

outcomes




Administration: Ministers & Staff

• Top-level staff: Influence onalternatives rather than agenda-setting

• Ministers– Steering or steered?

– Elevating rather than creating

– Agenda-setting power depended on

agreement with president– Influence on alternatives




Civil Servants

• Importance overestimated?

• Differentiation by process stage:– Little influence on agenda

– Substantial influence on alternatives and implementation

• Resources:

– Longevity

– Ability to “capture” ministers

– Expertise

– Relationships with MPs, interest groups




Parliament

• Strong influence

– Rivaling the executive?

– Agendas, alternatives and choice

• Resources

– Legal authority: creating legislation

– Publicity and media attention (see below)

– Blended information: “informationprocessing”




Outside influence

• Participants outside of government:

– Interest groups (of all sides)

– Experts

– Media

– (Election-related participants)

– The Public




Interest groups

• Wide range of groups: business, labor,public, even government itself

• Targeting agenda and alternatives,promoting and blocking

• “When the public isn’t involved in it,you have to deal with the vested

interests”




Experts

• Influence on alternatives:

– Problem analysis

– Advice on potential solutions and theircomparative benefits

• Long-term influence on agenda items:

– Longevity




Media & the public

• Key currency of media: influence onthe public

– Little real influence on the policy process

• Public opinion: some influence

– Popular items make for an attractive

agenda

– Limited tolerance constrains agenda– Intensity serves as a mediating factor




Actors differ

• Their level of importance

• The way in which they are important

• Their visibility

• Their resources

• Their responsibilities

• Their accountability

• Start a catalog– Think of other subjects, other countries, other actors



Questions?

Phone 84712




Mid-term paper: The basics

• 4’000 word essay

• 2-Person-Teams: Find a fellow studentwho does not share your nationality

– Don’t have one yet? Meet at the glass bridge onthe first floor after this lecture!

• Paper due: Mon, Sep. 20, 12:00 noon

• Hand in via Eleum: digital dropbox

– Don’t forget to send!




Mid-term paper: The task

Provide a reasoned discussion of the key differences in influence that ordinary

citizens have on the policy processacross three different countries.




Mid-term paper: Pressing questions

Why?

• Our literature leaves rather large gaps:

– Pierre & Peters: only government

– Kingdon: only USA

• Problem: you are globally oriented

• Solution: you are globally sourced

• Added benefit: we’ll have a nice collection of quick primers on the policy processes of many countries





Ordinary citizens?

• People whose jobs does not includemanaging or influencing the policy process

– No: members of executive, legislative, judicialbranches of government, civil servants and otheremployees of government, as well as rankingmembers of parties

– Yes: (regular) members of unions, associationsand parties





Three countries?

• You and your partner have (at least)two nationalities.

• Add a third from our list.

– Pick an interesting case

– Pick a well-documented case





Isn’t 4’000 words too little?

• The task asks for a memo, not ascholarly discussion

• Don’t be comprehensive

• Pick one focus and use that as thecomparison standard (be sure to

defend your choice)





Can you recommend some sources?

• Start with Kingdon and Heywood forgeneral sources

• Use the UM library’s subscriptions andGoogle Scholar

• Be careful with “online only” sources,

incl. Wikipedia




Mid-term paper: Grading

• You and your co-author share thesame grade!

• Grading components:

– Formal requirements (25%)

– Understanding of the topic (35%)

– Quality of your argumentation (40%)

• Please, steer clear of plagiarism…




Mid-term paper: added value

• We would like to share all papers witheveryone

• Let me know if

– You don’t want your paper distributed

– You want your paper anonymized

• If possible, submit your paper as PDF



Questions?

Phone 84712




MEET AT THE GLASS

BRIDGE…

No partner?

introduction to governance, politics & policy, week 2: the process & its participants

Documents