Nine Public inquiries, committees
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Cécile Blatrix
Abstract
Since the 1980s, several participatory procedures were introduced in France. The legal basis, uses, and effects of these procedures are at the heart of on-going debates among academics and practitioners. This chapter discusses the extent to which the accumulation of participatory procedures challenges French policy analysis. It seeks to understand the short-, mid- and long-term effects of these procedures on decision-making processes. It briefly maps out the main approaches and the principal results of existing academic studies, arguing that French policy analysis is less normative than analytical: the aim of scholars is not to promote a “good practice” of participation, but rather to understand how and why public participation is used by policy actors and its effects on policy making. Indeed, the link between participation and public policies is currently studied according to four theoretical and empirical approaches. They differ from one another according to how French policy analysis considers the effects, uses, impacts, and roles of public participation.
Abstract
Since the 1980s, several participatory procedures were introduced in France. The legal basis, uses, and effects of these procedures are at the heart of on-going debates among academics and practitioners. This chapter discusses the extent to which the accumulation of participatory procedures challenges French policy analysis. It seeks to understand the short-, mid- and long-term effects of these procedures on decision-making processes. It briefly maps out the main approaches and the principal results of existing academic studies, arguing that French policy analysis is less normative than analytical: the aim of scholars is not to promote a “good practice” of participation, but rather to understand how and why public participation is used by policy actors and its effects on policy making. Indeed, the link between participation and public policies is currently studied according to four theoretical and empirical approaches. They differ from one another according to how French policy analysis considers the effects, uses, impacts, and roles of public participation.
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
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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
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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
