Multi-stakeholder initiatives, policy learning and institutionalization: the surprising failure of open government in Norway

Abstract

This dissertation follows the Norwegian standard format for article-based doctoral theses. As noted by the University of Oslo, Faculty of Humanities: The thesis can consist of one continuous work or several smaller works. A thesis based on several smaller works shall normally consist of at least 3 works, as well as a summary/introductory article.

Government Openness and Public Trust: The Mediating Role of Democratic Capacity

“…The public system in the Scandinavian countries thus seems to be most trustful, as found by other studies (e.g., Huxley et al 2016; Marozzi 2015). In line with our assumption that the public system of open countries is more trusted, Norway is known for comparable high levels of democracy and citizen participation, dominant reform trends in terms of digitalization and collaboration, and for its leading role in stimulating open government (founding member of the Open Government Partnership) (Lægreid and Rykkja 2016; Lowry 2016; Wilson 2019). Similarly, Denmark is keen on implementing open government data policies and ranked high in open data indices (Gomes and Soares 2014; Jetzek 2016).…”

Joining the open government partnership initiative: An empirical analysis of diffusion effects

“…Despite recent attempts to investigate the content of OGP initiatives in individual countries (Laboutková, 2018;Piotrowski, 2017;Wilson, 2021), more research is still needed to detect substantive changes in the implementation of open government practices under the auspices of the OGP, particularly using case studies to compare design and implementation practices by countries with different systems of government (e.g. democracies versus autocracies).…”

“…However, learning can also occur via bilateral conversations, membership in international organizations or presence in epistemic communities (Stone, 2012). Regardless of the form, learning processes begin with individuals acquiring information, which is then translated into new meanings in the new context and results in collective policy learning by institutions (Heikkila & Gerlak, 2013;Wilson, 2021).…”

Commitment and Coordination: Studies on the Implementation of Poverty Alleviation Policies in Makasar City

“…Policy implementation failures and successes are recognized but need to be better understood in the policy science literature (Howlett, M., Ramesh, M., & Wu, 2015). Policy failure is generally understood as not achieving planned policy objectives caused by socio-political conditions and the political system (McConnel, 2010;Howes, M., Wortley, L., Dedekorkut-Howes, A., Serrao-Neumann, S., Davidson, J., Smith, T., & Nunn, P., 2017;DeGroff, A., & Cargo, 2009;Begley et al, 2019;Candel, 2017;Olavarría-Gambi, 2020;Sheaff, 2017;Wang & Tsai, 2021;Wilson, 2021). Howlett et al mention five policy failure criteria, namely 1) goal orientation is not achieved.…”