Seven Policy analysis in French local government
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Alain Faure
Abstract
This chapter attempts to ‘deconstruct’ the French territorial question and demonstrate that territorial policy analysis can break free from the limitations imposed by this primarily ‘statist’ conceptual framework. The first part introduces the scale and nature of current political and administrative territorial structures, and discusses the paucity of academic research work on this subject. The second part analyses changes in the territorial framework of policy building, through an evolution from vertical to horizontal dialectic of powers and capacities. The third part focuses on territorialisation as the result of a double process: the evolving role of ideas in territorial policy building and dynamics of differentiation. In the conclusion, it argues that the joint influence of professionalization, pluralisation and differentiation prefigures an original political/policy model of democracy between institutionalisms and culturalisms.
Abstract
This chapter attempts to ‘deconstruct’ the French territorial question and demonstrate that territorial policy analysis can break free from the limitations imposed by this primarily ‘statist’ conceptual framework. The first part introduces the scale and nature of current political and administrative territorial structures, and discusses the paucity of academic research work on this subject. The second part analyses changes in the territorial framework of policy building, through an evolution from vertical to horizontal dialectic of powers and capacities. The third part focuses on territorialisation as the result of a double process: the evolving role of ideas in territorial policy building and dynamics of differentiation. In the conclusion, it argues that the joint influence of professionalization, pluralisation and differentiation prefigures an original political/policy model of democracy between institutionalisms and culturalisms.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Notes on contributors vii
- Editors’ introduction to the series xiii
- Policy analysis in France: introduction 1
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The styles and methods of public policy analysis
- On the path to public policy analysis: an ‘administrative science’ between reform and academy 31
- The emergence of modern policy analysis in France 47
- Recent developments within French policy studies 63
- Methods of French policy studies 79
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Policy analysis by governments
- Civil servants and policy analysis in central government 101
- Policy analysis in French local government 119
- Beyond weakness: policy analysis in the French parliament 137
-
Committees, public inquiries, and consultants
- Public inquiries, committees 157
- Management consultants as policy actors 175
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Parties, interest groups, research institutes and think tanks
- The field of state expertise 191
- Political parties and think tanks: policy analysis oriented toward office-seeking 209
- Economic interest groups and policy analysis in France 225
- NGOs, civil society and policy analysis: from mutual disinterest to reciprocal investment 243
- Trade union expertise in public policy 261
-
Academic policy analysis
- Economics and policy analysis: ‘from state to market’? 279
- The academic world of French policy studies: training, teaching and researching 295
- Public policy analysis in France: from public action to political power 313
- Index 333
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Notes on contributors vii
- Editors’ introduction to the series xiii
- Policy analysis in France: introduction 1
-
The styles and methods of public policy analysis
- On the path to public policy analysis: an ‘administrative science’ between reform and academy 31
- The emergence of modern policy analysis in France 47
- Recent developments within French policy studies 63
- Methods of French policy studies 79
-
Policy analysis by governments
- Civil servants and policy analysis in central government 101
- Policy analysis in French local government 119
- Beyond weakness: policy analysis in the French parliament 137
-
Committees, public inquiries, and consultants
- Public inquiries, committees 157
- Management consultants as policy actors 175
-
Parties, interest groups, research institutes and think tanks
- The field of state expertise 191
- Political parties and think tanks: policy analysis oriented toward office-seeking 209
- Economic interest groups and policy analysis in France 225
- NGOs, civil society and policy analysis: from mutual disinterest to reciprocal investment 243
- Trade union expertise in public policy 261
-
Academic policy analysis
- Economics and policy analysis: ‘from state to market’? 279
- The academic world of French policy studies: training, teaching and researching 295
- Public policy analysis in France: from public action to political power 313
- Index 333
