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Coalition Structures and Policy Change in a Consensus Democracy
Author(s) -
Fischer Manuel
Publication year - 2014
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/psj.12064
Subject(s) - negotiation , status quo , context (archaeology) , political science , democracy , power (physics) , public administration , economic system , political economy , economics , politics , law , paleontology , biology , physics , quantum mechanics
This paper studies the relation between coalition structures in policy processes and policy change. While different factors such as policy images, learning processes, external events, or venue shopping are important to explain policy change, coalition structures within policy processes are often neglected. However, policy change happens as a result of negotiations and coordination among coalitions within policy processes. The paper analyzes how conflict, collaboration, and power relations among coalitions of actors influence policy change in an institutional context of a consensus democracy. Empirically, I rely on a Q ualitative C omparative A nalysis to conduct a cross‐sector comparison of the 11 most important policy processes in S witzerland between 2001 and 2006. Coalition structures with low conflict and strong collaboration among coalitions as well as structures with dominant coalitions and weak collaboration both facilitate major policy change. Competing coalitions that are separated by strong conflict but still collaborate strongly produce policy outputs that are close to the status quo.