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How Big Is a Policy Network? An Assessment Utilizing Data From Canadian Royal Commissions 1970–2000
Author(s) -
Howlett Michael,
Maragna Anthony
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
review of policy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1541-1338
pISSN - 1541-132X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-1338.2006.00209.x
Subject(s) - operationalization , consistency (knowledge bases) , metaphor , work (physics) , replication (statistics) , estimation , computer science , big data , management science , sociology , operations research , political science , data science , epistemology , economics , management , data mining , engineering , artificial intelligence , mechanical engineering , linguistics , philosophy , statistics , mathematics
The subsystem approach to policy studies is now well established in theory. Despite many applications to empirical cases, however, many elements of the operationalization of this approach have remained problematic, prompting some critics to reject it as “unscientific.” Although the approach has been defended as “more than a metaphor,” it is certainly apparent that additional work is required to address fundamental aspects of the model and ensure that its application to specific cases is done in such a way as to meet basic methodological prerequisites of consistency and replication. This article builds on earlier work by one of the authors attempting to address some of these concerns. Specifically, it addresses issues surrounding the methods through which subsystem membership can be identified and attempts some preliminary conclusions with respect to the estimation of average subsystem size in contemporary advanced liberal democracies.