ELEVEN Political parties and policy analysis
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Chanintorn Pensute
Abstract
This chapter explores how and why political parties in Thailand have paid most attention to choosing political leaders and mobilising resources for elections, both national and local. It emphasises that, due to the focus on these areas, serious professional policy analysis has been ignored by most political parties. The basic tool that has been used is ‘polling’, to check the popularity of their party, politicians and policies, and thus, in turn, ‘populist policy’ has become their policy culture. In aiming to win the election, most parties compared the policy choices of their competitors and proposed a more popular one. The chapter highlights that, in the national election of 2019, there was a new political party that tried to engage more with the critical orientations of policy analysis by challenging short-term populist policies and proposing some policies based on public deliberation and reinterpretation of the Thai society towards the structural transformation.
Abstract
This chapter explores how and why political parties in Thailand have paid most attention to choosing political leaders and mobilising resources for elections, both national and local. It emphasises that, due to the focus on these areas, serious professional policy analysis has been ignored by most political parties. The basic tool that has been used is ‘polling’, to check the popularity of their party, politicians and policies, and thus, in turn, ‘populist policy’ has become their policy culture. In aiming to win the election, most parties compared the policy choices of their competitors and proposed a more popular one. The chapter highlights that, in the national election of 2019, there was a new political party that tried to engage more with the critical orientations of policy analysis by challenging short-term populist policies and proposing some policies based on public deliberation and reinterpretation of the Thai society towards the structural transformation.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures and tables vii
- List of abbreviations ix
- Notes on contributors xii
- Editors’ introduction to the series xiv
- Introduction 1
-
History, styles and methods of policy analysis in Thailand
- History and styles of policy analysis in Thailand 11
- Methods of policy analysis in Thailand: bureaucratic, managerial, academic and participatory orientations 28
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Policy analysis within executive government
- Policy analysis in central government 49
- Policy analysis in Thai local governments 67
- Collaboration, networks and policy analysis in Thailand 88
-
Policy analysis beyond executive government
- Monarchy and Thai meta-policy: the early years of Rama X’s reign 107
- The role of the Thai military in policy analysis: unpacking three faces of the military in the non-military policy domain 137
- Parliamentary committees, legislative supporting agencies and policy advice 155
- The role of expert policy advisory boards, consultants and think tanks in policy analysis 170
- Political movements as expression of public opinion for agenda setting in Thailand 186
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Political parties and interest groups in policy analysis
- Political parties and policy analysis 203
- Business associations and policy analysis 219
- The role of the community sector and civil society in policy analysis 230
- The influence of Thailand’s social movements on policy analysis 248
-
Policy analysis education and research
- Policy analysis instruction in Thailand 273
- Non-traditional policy studies in Thailand 286
- Policy research in academic institutions 303
- Transition and prospects of Thai policy analysis 320
- Index 337
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures and tables vii
- List of abbreviations ix
- Notes on contributors xii
- Editors’ introduction to the series xiv
- Introduction 1
-
History, styles and methods of policy analysis in Thailand
- History and styles of policy analysis in Thailand 11
- Methods of policy analysis in Thailand: bureaucratic, managerial, academic and participatory orientations 28
-
Policy analysis within executive government
- Policy analysis in central government 49
- Policy analysis in Thai local governments 67
- Collaboration, networks and policy analysis in Thailand 88
-
Policy analysis beyond executive government
- Monarchy and Thai meta-policy: the early years of Rama X’s reign 107
- The role of the Thai military in policy analysis: unpacking three faces of the military in the non-military policy domain 137
- Parliamentary committees, legislative supporting agencies and policy advice 155
- The role of expert policy advisory boards, consultants and think tanks in policy analysis 170
- Political movements as expression of public opinion for agenda setting in Thailand 186
-
Political parties and interest groups in policy analysis
- Political parties and policy analysis 203
- Business associations and policy analysis 219
- The role of the community sector and civil society in policy analysis 230
- The influence of Thailand’s social movements on policy analysis 248
-
Policy analysis education and research
- Policy analysis instruction in Thailand 273
- Non-traditional policy studies in Thailand 286
- Policy research in academic institutions 303
- Transition and prospects of Thai policy analysis 320
- Index 337
