Structural and institutional determinants of influence reputation: a comparison of collaborative and adversarial policy networks in decision making and implementation

Ingold, K. and Leifeld, P. (2016) Structural and institutional determinants of influence reputation: a comparison of collaborative and adversarial policy networks in decision making and implementation. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 26(1), pp. 1-18. (doi: 10.1093/jopart/muu043)

Abstract

The central assumption in the literature on collaborative networks and policy networks is that political outcomes are affected by a variety of state and nonstate actors. Some of these actors are more powerful than others and can therefore have a considerable effect on decision making. In this article, we seek to provide a structural and institutional explanation for these power differentials in policy networks and support the explanation with empirical evidence. We use a dyadic measure of influence reputation as a proxy for power, and posit that influence reputation over the political outcome is related to vertical integration into the political system by means of formal decision-making authority, and to horizontal integration by means of being well embedded into the policy network. Hence, we argue that actors are perceived as influential because of two complementary factors: (a) their institutional roles and (b) their structural positions in the policy network. Based on temporal and cross-sectional exponential random graph models, we compare five cases about climate, telecommunications, flood prevention, and toxic chemicals politics in Switzerland and Germany. The five networks cover national and local networks at different stages of the policy cycle. The results confirm that institutional and structural drivers seem to have a crucial impact on how an actor is perceived in decision making and implementation and, therefore, their ability to significantly shape outputs and service delivery.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Policy networks, Influence, Power, Reputation, Implementation, Collaborative Governance, Decision making, Institutions, Policy
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Leifeld, Professor Philip
• Authors: Ingold, K., and Leifeld, P.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General); J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences
• Journal Name: Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• ISSN: 1053-1858
• ISSN (Online): 1477-9803
• Published Online: 21 October 2014
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 Oxford University Press
• First Published: First published in Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 26(1):1-18
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher
• Data DOI: /10.7910/DVN/27456