Pieter-Jan Klok

Interdependency, beliefs, and coalition behavior: A contribution to the advocacy coalition framework

The Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), developed by Paul Sabatier, is generally considered one of the most promising theories of the policy process (see, for instance, Parsons, 1995; Eberg, 1997; Schlager and Blomquist, 1996; Grin and Hoppe, 1997). The framework considers policy change as the result of learning processes within and between advocacy coalitions. However, in explaining policy change, the ACF focuses almost exclusively on the structure, content, stability, and evolution of the policy belief systems of advocacy coalitions. There is no attempt to account for how actors with certain policy belief systems develop and maintain these advocacy coalitions.From the literature on interorganizational relations and policy networks, we know that the extent and structure of interdependencies between actors are important determinants of the behavior of the actors in interorganizational relations. Differences in interdependencies are supposed to lead to different types of interorganizational arrangements.In this article, a hypothesis is developed that explains the development and maintenance of advocacy coalitions by looking at both the interdependencies and the policy belief systems of the actors. The importance of this approach is demonstrated by applying it to the debate on oil and gas leasing in the outer continental shelf of the United States. It turns out that the attention for interdependency contributes significantly to the possibilities of explaining the behavior of single actors and advocacy coalitions.

The rise of interactive governance and quasi markets

Preface. Introduction: The emergence of new forms of governance B. Denters, O. van Heffen, J. Huisman, P.-J. Klok. 1. The rise of interactive governance and quasi-markets. 2. Objectives and research questions. 3. Conceptual framework. 4. Structure of the book and general themes. 5. References. Does interactive decision making work? Expanding Rotterdam Port E.-H. Klijn. 1. Interactive decision making to promote openness. 2. Decision making in the Netherlands: a review. 3. Networks, arenas and rules: a conceptual framework. 4. Verm: organization, actors and arenas. 5. The decision making process: interactions and outcomes. 6. Conclusion: rules and connections of arenas as obstacles for interactive decision making. 7. References. Power to the people? Rule configurations and power games in interactive governance R. Monnikhof, J. Edelenbos, A. Krouwel. 1. The rise of interactive governance in the Netherlands. 2. Three forms of power. 3. Producing a structure plan in De Bilt. 4. Rule configurations and power games. 5. Conclusions: who sets the rules, rules. 6. References. Interactive policy making as institutional design for local democracy: The experiments of the institute for public and politics J. Koppenjan. 1. Introduction. 2. Interactive policy making as institutional design. 3. The IPP method as institutional design. 4. The elaboration of the process design in five municipalities. 5. Explaining the failure to put the IPP design into practice. 6. Interactive policy making and local democracy. 7. Epilogue. 8. References. Rebuilding Roombeek. An institutional analysis of interactive governance in the context of a representative democracy B. Denters, P.-J. Klok. 1. Introduction and research questions. 2. Normative criteria of democracy. 3. Traditional representative institutions as a configuration of arenas. 4. Interactive arenas in Roombeek. 5. Problems in the institutional design of the interactive process in the case of Roombeek. 6. Conclusion. 7. References. Institutional reform in higher education: Forever changes? J. Huisman. 1. Introduction. 2. A sketch of Dutch higher education and the role of government. 3. Institutional reform: government, interactive governance and market co-ordination. 4. Conditional funding of university research. 5. Quality assurance in university education. 6. A new governance structure. 7. Summary and preliminary conclusions. 8. References. The emergence of a new environmental policy arena: The Dutch horticulture industry J. Woltjer, R. van de Peppel. 1. Introduction. 2. The conventional arenas. 3. The new policy arena. 4. Assessment of the GLAMI arena achievements. 5. Conclusions. 6. References.

The Institutional Embedding of Interactive Policy Making Insights From a Comparative Research Based on Eight Interactive Projects in the Netherlands

In this article, the authors address citizen involvement at the central government level in the Netherlands. Through comparative research in which they systematically analyze eight interactive projects in three governmental departments, the authors especially pay attention to the relation between the informal character of interactive policy making and formal democratic decision-making procedures. They call this the “institutional embedding of interactive policy making.” The authors address the question, which forms of institutional embedding are most promising in securing continued effect from interactive policy making on formal democratic decision making? To answer this question, they distinguish three different forms of institutional embedding—that is, administrative, governmental, and political. The comparative research shows that a multiple institutional embedding of administrative, governmental, and political secures the continued effect of interactive policy making. Political embedding is especially important in creating enough pressure to organize and manage interactive processes well and take outcomes seriously into account.

Rebuilding Roombeek: Patterns of Citizen Participation in Urban Governance

In 2000, a deprived inner-city district of Enschede (the Netherlands) known as Roombeek was largely devastated by an explosion of a fireworks storage depot. This article evaluates the efforts made by the municipality of Enschede to actively involve the former residents in the reconstruction planning. The results indicate that through a well-ordered process and a considered mobilization campaign, the initiators of the participatory planning process have been successful in stimulating broad and representative public participation.

Local Councillors in Europe

Local Councillors in Comparative Perspective.- Political Recruitment and Career Development of Local Councillors in Europe.- Councillors and their Parties.- The Roles Councillors Play.- Councillors and Democracy.- Who do the Local Councillors of Europe Represent?.- Councillors, Participation, and Local Democracy.- Municipal Councillors as Interest Mediators.- European Mayors and Councillors: The gender gap among local representatives.- Local councillors in different governance network arrangements.- Local councillors and administrative reforms.- Municipal priorities in urban planning and local development.

Citizens initiatives : how local governments fill their facilitative role

Abstract In the context of drastic cutbacks many Dutch municipalities consider citizens’ initiatives (CIs) as an attractive alternative for municipal policies aimed at improving the livability and safety in neighbourhoods, simultaneously building responsible citizenship. In this paper we combine different theoretical perspectives to analyse the institutional settings in which CIs are being realised, and how municipalities try to facilitate such initiatives. Municipalities can do this by either trying to structure the relevant networks or by various forms of process management. This analysis sheds light on how municipalities use a variety of instruments to mobilise citizens to participate in CIs. In using such instruments they can influence various factors (like motivations, personal resources, social capital and expected responsiveness; cf. Lowndes et al.’s CLEAR model) that increase the likelihood of civic engagement.

The Reform of the Political Executive in Dutch Local Government

Following the Local Government Act of 1851 in the Netherlands, the legislative and executive primacy in the local political arena rested with the municipal council, an elected body that represented the local citizenship. In 2002, however, the then newly elected municipal councils were confronted with a radically revised legal setting. This paper assesses the implications of the 2002 reform for the role of the political executive in Dutch local government.

Local councillors in comparative perspective

This book is about local councillors. It presents the results of the third in a series of linked cross-national research projects on comparative urban and local governance research. All three projects have been undertaken by the ‘Euroloc’ research group – a network of academics with a focus on international comparative research in local government studies. After having concluded the ‘Udite Leadership Study’ on appointed municipal chief executive officers (see Klausen and Magnier 1998; Mouritzen and Svara 2002) and a comparative study on mayors (often referred to as the polleader project) (see Back et al. 2006), the research network addressed the largest number of political actors in local government, elected councillors.

Introduction: The Emergence of New Forms of Governance

During recent decade(s) the traditional role of government in West-European countries has been under discussion. This debate and subsequent reforms were induced by a gradual transformation of the relations between state and society. Increasing social pluriformity and ongoing processes of individualisation have undermined the legitimacy of traditional modes of collective decision making (Andeweg and Van Gunsteren, 1994; Tops, 1994; Thomassen, 1995; Klingemann and Fuchs, 1995; Frissen, 1996; Van Gunsteren, 1998). The authority of government and the steering capacity of public administration are restrained by a growing dependence of public authorities on economic and social actors. The ensuing shift of balance between government and society has had far reaching consequences for public decision making.

A new role for municipal councils in Dutch local democracy

In 1914, now almost one hundred years ago, the founding father of the modern study of public administration in the Netherlands Gerrit van Poelje (18841976) predicted the end of the directly elected municipal councils as a core institution of democratic local government. His prediction was based on two expectations. Firstly, he argued that the need for more effective and efficient governance and the required professionalisation of local government would marginalize the role of the part-time amateur politicians serving on the councils. Local power would inevitably shift to the executive offices and the local civil service. Secondly, he argued that the individual emancipation of citizens, finding its expression in increasing levels of formal education, awareness, and assertiveness would be increasingly capable of exercising direct, effective democratic control and scrutiny over local public administration. According to Van Poelje the combination of these functional (effectiveness) and democratic requirements would make the role of the municipal councils largely redundant (Van Poelje 1914: 88). If Van Poelje is right, local representative democracy may be crushed between functional and democratic requirements.