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Policies in the Polder: How Institutions Mediate between Norms and Practices of Rural Governance
Author(s) -
Boonstra Wiebren Johannes
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
sociologia ruralis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.005
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1467-9523
pISSN - 0038-0199
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9523.2006.00419.x
Subject(s) - corporate governance , the void , void (composites) , political science , public administration , public economics , economic system , positive economics , economics , political economy , management , epistemology , philosophy , materials science , composite material
Matching rural policy and practice has become increasingly difficult. Despite a shift from government to governance, a void is often perceived to exist between policy and practice. This article discusses two hypotheses on the emergence of such a void. The first argues that the void is a result of a process of value differentiation. The second explains the void as a result of a process of depoliticisation. This article examines whether these hypotheses hold true for Dutch rural policy. The analysis shows that though both hypotheses are true for a limited extent, neither succeeds in explaining the changes in Dutch (rural) policy on its own. Instead, it is argued that both are needed for a comprehensive analysis.