Stability despite Reforms: Structural Asymmetries in Dutch Local Policy Networks

Abstract

This article addresses the development of local policy networks in the Netherlands in the period 1996-2005. It is argued that there is a surprising stability in such networks seen from the perspective of local policymakers. Those working inside city hall as politicians and as members of the local administration remain the core members of the inner circle in policy networks, while societal groups remain outsiders and political party groups are absent from local policy networks. This conclusion is based on three identical standardised surveys among local politicians and top administrators at the local level, which were conducted in 1996, 2000 and 2005. This outcome is surprising, because it is contrary to the high expectations arising from numerous institutional reforms taking place in this period, aimed, among other things, at diminishing the gap between citizens and policymakers; the numerous experiments in co-production, public-private partnerships, and interactive policy processes; and the widespread documentation and dissemination of the outcomes of such experiments. Possible explanations for the results are that the experiments, however successful they might have been, never had a structural follow-up, and that the structural reforms, no matter what they accomplished otherwise, did not achieve their goal in enhancing interactive policymaking because they overlooked the fact that local policymakers see the local political system as a representative democracy and not as a direct or participatory one. On that basis it is to be expected that support for policies by policymakers is mainly sought among influential actors who are elected or appointed to develop policies and whose interests have to be taken into account. The public and societal groups do not satisfy that criterion. They can and do seek support from policymakers but the latter are hardly inclined to seek support from them.

Examining Citizen Participation: Local Participatory Policy Making and Democracy

“…Many studies on participatory policy making take an administrative and management perspective and focus on how to improve or design the management of these type of processes (Lowndes & Sullivan, 2004;Edelenbos, 2000;Kickert et al, 1997). Other, more descriptive studies, put emphasis on the beliefs and role of politicians and administrators (Nyholm & Haveri, 2009;De Vries, 2008). The present article aims to provide some empirical insights into the relation between citizens and governments from a citizens' perspective.…”

Territorial development in today’s Romania: the strenuous quest for a European patterned regionalization

“…Also, such structures may have beneficial effects regarding stakeholder inclusion, a situation that may influence public sector project innovation (Godenhjelm, Johanson, 2018). Last but not least, local policy networks have been considered to exhibit a surprising level of stability, as seen from the perspective of local policymakers, a study on Dutch local policy networks concludes (De Vries, 2008).…”

Policy innovation in Dutch municipalities

“…Research into personal experiences with interactive (non-digital) policymaking processes in the Netherlands has shown that less-experienced, female, and non-religious politicians were more motivated to seek support of citizens in the policy process, than were more experienced, male, and religious local politicians (De Vries, 2008). We have reliable measures of the number of males and females in the municipal council, and also of the percentage nonreligious politicians, but unfortunately we have no reliable measure of experience.…”