TY - JOUR
T1 - Policy divergence in implementation
T2 - How conflict among decisive legislators reinforces the effect of agency preferences
AU - Oosterwaal, Annemarije
AU - Torenvlied, René
PY - 2012/4/1
Y1 - 2012/4/1
N2 - The question whether political conflict affects the course and outcomes of policy implementation is debated among scholars in public administration. Whereas some scholars emphasize the mediating effects of procedures for political control of bureaucracy, other scholars highlight the actions and preferences of agencies. The present study combines both perspectives and argues that policy divergence is explained by political conflict in interaction with agency preferences. Political conflict is specified in conjunction with the decision-making context. Conflict among decisive legislators - rather than the legislature as a whole - is hypothesized to reinforce the effect of agency preferences on policy divergence. Using a cross-classified multilevel design, data on local policy making and implementation in the Netherlands offer support for these hypotheses and reveal that preferences of agencies and conflict among decisive legislators should be included in explanations for policy divergences in the implementation process.
AB - The question whether political conflict affects the course and outcomes of policy implementation is debated among scholars in public administration. Whereas some scholars emphasize the mediating effects of procedures for political control of bureaucracy, other scholars highlight the actions and preferences of agencies. The present study combines both perspectives and argues that policy divergence is explained by political conflict in interaction with agency preferences. Political conflict is specified in conjunction with the decision-making context. Conflict among decisive legislators - rather than the legislature as a whole - is hypothesized to reinforce the effect of agency preferences on policy divergence. Using a cross-classified multilevel design, data on local policy making and implementation in the Netherlands offer support for these hypotheses and reveal that preferences of agencies and conflict among decisive legislators should be included in explanations for policy divergences in the implementation process.
KW - n/a OA procedure
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859324111&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/jopart/mur037
DO - 10.1093/jopart/mur037
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84859324111
VL - 22
SP - 195
EP - 217
JO - Journal of public administration research and theory
JF - Journal of public administration research and theory
SN - 1053-1858
IS - 2
ER -