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Experimentalist governance in the E uropean U nion: A commentary
Author(s) -
Verdun Amy
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
regulation and governance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.417
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1748-5991
pISSN - 1748-5983
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-5991.2012.01161.x
Subject(s) - deliberation , legitimacy , corporate governance , accountability , competence (human resources) , european union , political science , democracy , deliberative democracy , law and economics , public administration , action (physics) , sociology , public relations , law , economics , management , politics , economic policy , physics , quantum mechanics
S abel and Z eitlin's E xperimentalist G overnance offers an insight into E uropean governance in those cases where the EU institutions do not have clear competence and where member states are not prepared to accept a unified policy on a problem at hand. E xperimentalist G overnance identifies four steps of action: agree on common goals, have lower levels propose ways to meet goals, then report on their meeting of goals, and, finally, periodically reevaluate the review procedures. By looking at the developments in EU policymaking through the lens of experimentalist governance ( EG ), one obtains an appreciation of how goals might be achieved that would otherwise not likely have been achieved through the community method. S abel and Z eitlin highlight how EG can be effective in obtaining results, integrating peers, and incorporating deliberation, and offer a different way to deal with accountability and legitimacy. This article closes by taking the next step, namely, asking what challenges EG poses to democratic processes.