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Implementing Privatization Policies in ‘Next Steps’ Agencies
Author(s) -
Gains Francesca
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.313
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1467-9299
pISSN - 0033-3298
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9299.00176
Subject(s) - state (computer science) , politics , differential (mechanical device) , institutional change , fragmentation (computing) , public administration , government (linguistics) , public economics , economic system , political science , business , economics , computer science , linguistics , philosophy , engineering , algorithm , law , aerospace engineering , operating system
This article examines the implementation of privatization policies in two ‘Next Steps’ agencies. This is discussed with reference to the broader theoretical and empirical questions of how do institutions change and when are political actors constrained in implementing their policy choices. Cortell and Peterson’s framework for explaining institutional change, and the concept of intra‐state policy networks are used to analyse the cases. The differential outcomes identified illustrate how constraints operate and how these may be overcome by strategic actors to produce change. Constraints in these cases arose from fragmentation and dependence in central government, from differing institutionalized beliefs and from the development of intra‐state networks between the departments and agencies. The paper concludes by suggesting that the type of intra‐state networks created through agencification can be seen to have an effect on policy outcomes and are worthy of more detailed research.