Twelve Political parties and think tanks: policy analysis oriented toward office-seeking
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Camilo Argibay
Abstract
This chapter examines the role played by political parties and think tanks in the development of policy analysis in France. It shows how party-based policy analysis is interwoven with inter and intra-party competition related to the objective of seeking office. Indeed, even though policy seeking activities do not look central in the functioning of French political parties, developments in party rationales, like those in the profile of governing parties’ elites, are favourable to intensifying interest in policy issues. Political parties’ professionalization nonetheless appears to have a marked effect on their internal production of public policy expertise: party membership is marginalised while the electoral issues and internal competition have a structuring impact. Lastly, analysis of public policy expertise production shows that it is mainly done in the vicinity of party organisations, due to the significant recourse to experts outside of parties and the role of think tanks.
Abstract
This chapter examines the role played by political parties and think tanks in the development of policy analysis in France. It shows how party-based policy analysis is interwoven with inter and intra-party competition related to the objective of seeking office. Indeed, even though policy seeking activities do not look central in the functioning of French political parties, developments in party rationales, like those in the profile of governing parties’ elites, are favourable to intensifying interest in policy issues. Political parties’ professionalization nonetheless appears to have a marked effect on their internal production of public policy expertise: party membership is marginalised while the electoral issues and internal competition have a structuring impact. Lastly, analysis of public policy expertise production shows that it is mainly done in the vicinity of party organisations, due to the significant recourse to experts outside of parties and the role of think tanks.
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
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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
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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
