Policy forums: Why do they exist and what are they used for?

Fischer, M. and Leifeld, P. (2015) Policy forums: Why do they exist and what are they used for? Policy Sciences, 48(3), pp. 363-382. (doi: 10.1007/s11077-015-9224-y)

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Abstract

Policy forums are issue-based intermediary organizations where diverse types of political and societal actors repeatedly interact. Policy forums are important elements of modern governance systems as they allow actors to learn, negotiate, or build trust. They can vary in composition, size, membership logic, and other distinct features. This article lays the foundation of a theory of policy forums based on three interrelated elements: First, it discusses conditions for the formation of a forum and describes the logic of these organizations as one of an asymmetric multipartite exchange. Second, it enumerates the potential set of goals and motivations of participating actors that are fed into this exchange. Third, it proposes eight different dimensions on which policy forums differ and which affect the exchange mechanisms among actors. We claim that empirical work on policy forums should systematically take these elements into account and propose elements of a research agenda.

Item Type:Articles
Keywords:Policy forum, governance, exchange theory, Intermediary organization
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Leifeld, Professor Philip
Authors: Fischer, M., and Leifeld, P.
Subjects:H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
J Political Science > JC Political theory
J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General)
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences
Journal Name:Policy Sciences
Publisher:Springer
ISSN:0032-2687
ISSN (Online):1573-0891
Published Online:11 July 2015
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2015 Springer Science+Business Media
First Published:First published in Policy Sciences 48(3):363-382
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher
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