CEEN 590 Actor Dynamics

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Today’s agenda Policy Cycle Government actors

- incentives Interest Groups

Interests Resources Strategies

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Policy Cycle Model

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Agenda-Setting

Policy Formulation

Decisionmaking

Policy Implementation

Monitoring and Evaluation

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Agenda-Setting – Definitions

Social Agenda (general, systemic): issues that the public thinks deserve attention from government measures: polls, media

Formal Agenda (government): issues explicitly up for active and serious consideration by policy makers measures: announced proposals,

throne speech

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Agenda-Setting - Process

Kingdon’s “streams” model: a confluence of Problem stream Politics stream Policy (solution)

streamOpens a “policy

window”Opportunity for

“policy entrepreneurs”

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Agenda-Setting - Process

Changes in “Problem” indicators knowledge, technology focusing event

Changes in “Politics” changing public mood elections interest group strategies

Policy Cycle Model

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Agenda-Setting

Policy Formulation

Decisionmaking

Policy Implementation

Monitoring and Evaluation

Policy Formulation

THINKING Policy analysis of

alternatives

TALKING Consultation with

stakeholders

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Decision-making

RATIONAL

clarify objectives, prioritize them

list all alternatives assess consequences

of alternatives compare alternatives choose alternative

that maximizes/optimizes objectives

INCREMENTALISM no means-ends

distinction alternative search

limited to those closest to status quo

ignores possible consequences

decision rule: “satisfice”

test of good policy: agreement

successive limited comparisons: trial and error learning

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Implementation – conditions for successClear, consistent objectivesSound causal theoryAdequate administrative authorityCommitted, skillful implementorsSupport from stakeholdersFacilitative socio-economic

conditions

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Interest groups in contextStrategic actors

Government▪ Elected officials▪ Bureaucrats

Non-government interest groups

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Government Actors -Interests, Resources: Politicians

resource: authorityObjectives: reelection, policy

objectives, power reelection comes first -- fundamental

constraint effect: public opinion matters

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resources authority expertise

objectives policy objectives power (budgets, jurisdiction) autonomy

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Government Actors –Interests, Resources: Bureaucrats

Interest Groupsenergy firms trade associationsenvironmental NGOsaboriginal groupsconsumer groups (?)List of actors

What are the interests of your group?

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Value orientations

5 - Strong environmental values

On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely supportive of energy development and 5 being extremely supportive of environmental conservation, how would you rate your simulation group's values?

4- Moderate environmental values

2 - moderate pro development values

3 - neutral1 - Strong pro development values

Group Resources

moneyexpertise (substance, process)skilled leadership (effective,

charismatic)appealing causepublic opinioncontactscontrol over investment, jobs

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Group Resources – The Privileged Position of Business control over investment, jobs

government seeks reelection reelection depends on jobs, healthy economy jobs, growth created by investment investment a function of business climate government constrained from undermining

business climate

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What resources does your group have to influence public policy?

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Actors Strategies – First orderadopt those most likely to advance their interests

lobby influence public opinion

through media influence market

behaviour finance elections litigation form coalitions direct action

(demonstrations, civil disobedience)

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Actors Strategies II – Second Order change the rules

of the game within an arena Expanding

participation shift the venue to

another arena Legislature to

cabinet Provincial to federal Domestic to

international Government to

market

idea-based strategies to reframe problem in framing

arguments, actors appeal to widely shared values and expert authority▪ “green jobs”

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The politics of science: Classic view: separation

Science(facts)

Politics(values)

Truth

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Politics of Science:Recognition of “Trans-science”

Jasanoff and Wynne 1998

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Politics of ScienceConstructivist View

Politics

Science

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Politics of ScienceConstructivist View (when pressed)

Politics

Science

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Politics and Science Policy reflects value judgments, but

embodies causal assumptions Causal knowledge frequently very uncertain,

undermining power of science actors adopt the scientific arguments most

consistent with their interests “science” becomes a contested resource for

actors in the policy process, by lending credibility to arguments

the body of credible science bounds the range of legitimate arguments, but only loosely

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Politics and Science (cont)

Scientific controversies are frequently more about underlying value conflicts e.g., conservation vs. development

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A continuum

Science Politics

Regulatory Science

Regulatory Science: Scientific assumptions adopted for the purpose of policy-making

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Regulatory Science Approach Some causal assumptions are better than others

– science helps Some policies are better reflections of society’s

distribution of preferences than others -- democratic institutions help

Avoid: political decisions made by scientists and scientific judgments being made by politicians

Prefer: transparent justification for decisions Reveals boundary where scientific advice ends and

value judgments begins Promotes accountability

What strategies is your group likely to rely upon?

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Actors – Interests, Resources, Strategies

Actor Interest Resources Strategies

Politicians

Bureaucrats

industry

environmentalists

First Nations