Social Networks and Policy Entrepreneurship: How Relationships Shape Municipal Decision Making about High‐Volume Hydraulic Fracturing

Abstract

Well-resourced and well-connected individuals, or "policy entrepreneurs," often play an important role in advocating and securing the adoption of policies. There is a striking lack of inquiry into the ways that social networks shape the ability of these actors to achieve their aims, including the ways in which network ties may channel policy conflict. To address these gaps, we analyze data from an original survey and an original database of policies to assess the success of policy entrepreneurs (PEs) active in a highly contentious arena: municipal policymaking concerning high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in New York. We use text-mining to collect social network data from local newspaper archives, then use those data to construct municipal HVHF policy networks. Municipal anti-HVHF PEs appear more successful when they operate in less cohesive networks, act as bridges to relative newcomers to the governance network, and have a larger number of network connections. Pro-HVHF PEs appear more successful when they can forge high-value connections to key decision makers. Policy entrepreneurs on both sides of the issue are more successful when they have a greater number of sympathetic coalition partners.

Marcellus Shale Fracking and Susquehanna River Stakeholder Attitudes: A Five-Year Update

“…The results of this survey generally support recent theoretical, qualitative and empirical research on fracking in the Marcellus Shale region [41,48,49]. Those supportive of fracking tend to be male and have higher incomes, while those opposing fracking tend to be female and have higher education.…”

“…The profound contrast in fracking policy between New York and Pennsylvania requires a political analysis. Arnold et al [41] hypothesize that anti-fracking policy entrepreneurs appear more successful "when they operate in less cohesive networks, act as bridges to relative newcomers to the governance network, and have a larger number of network connections. Conversely, pro-fracking policy entrepreneurs appear more successful when they can forge high-value connections to key decision makers."…”

“No Fracking Way” vs. “Drill Baby Drill”: A Restructuring of Who Is Pitted Against Whom in the Narrative Policy Framework

“…Careful case selection helps us minimize the likelihood that contextual factors were primary determinants of narrative strategy use or policy outcomes. The four towns in our analysis—Hopewell, South Bristol, Lisle, and Barker—are within one standard deviation of each other on key variables that predict municipal hydraulic fracturing policy uptake (Arnold & Neupane, ; Arnold et al, ); see Table .…”

Home Rule Be Damned: Exploring Policy Conflicts between the Statehouse and City Hall

“…In survey work by Loh and Osland (2016), a sample of planning officials attributed conflicted intergovernmental relationships to breakdowns in communication and trust. Finally, policy entrepreneurs have also contributed to conflicted state-local relationships (Arnold, Long, and Gottlieb 2016). Flower Mound, Texas typifies the relationship between political and economic conditions and more restrictive oil and gas policies.…”

“…In four states, defiance led to state Supreme Court cases and in others it has contributed to legislative changes. It also commands media attention and has captured growing scholarly attention (see Davis 2014;Arnold, Long, and Gottlieb 2016;Fisk 2016;Fisk 2017). Two patterns are apparent.…”