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POLICY COMMUNITIES: THE BRITISH AND EUROPEAN POLICY STYLE
Author(s) -
Jordan A. G.,
Richardson J. J.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
policy studies journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1541-0072
pISSN - 0190-292X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-0072.1983.tb00564.x
Subject(s) - accommodation , bureaucracy , normative , government (linguistics) , style (visual arts) , politics , political science , public administration , order (exchange) , public policy , political economy , sociology , economics , law , geography , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology , finance , neuroscience , biology
It seems possible to formulate broad characterizations of the British and European policy processes in terms of the relationship between government and interest groups. There is a preferred type of machinery in Britain, reflecting normative values, which is to avoid electoral politics and public conflict in order to reach consensus or “accommodation” in the labyrinth of consultative machinery. This style is aptly labelled “bureaucratic accommodation” and is a system in which the dominant actors are groups and government departments. Departments readily recognize the “relevant” groups in a given policy area and seek to mobilize the community around agreed policies. The predilection for the avoidance of conflict seems equally apparent in other Western European nations.