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When doctors shape policy: The impact of self‐regulation on governing human biotechnology
Author(s) -
Engeli Isabelle,
Rothmayr Allison Christine
Publication year - 2016
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/rego.12078
Subject(s) - corporate governance , intervention (counseling) , field (mathematics) , mode (computer interface) , business , microbiology and biotechnology , economic system , economics , biology , finance , medicine , computer science , mathematics , psychiatry , pure mathematics , operating system
This paper investigates the development and adoption of governance modes in the field of human biotechnology. As the field of human biotechnology is relatively new, voluntary professional self‐regulation constituted the initial governing mode. In the meantime, with the exception of I reland, all W estern E uropean countries have moved toward greater state intervention. Nevertheless, they have done so in contrasting ways and the resulting governance modes for assisted reproductive technology and embryonic stem‐cell research vary greatly. Instead of imposing their steering capacity in a “top‐down” fashion, governments have taken pre‐existing self‐regulatory arrangements in the field into account and built up governance mechanisms in conjunction with private actors and pre‐existing modes of private governance. Our analysis demonstrates that the form and content of the initial self‐regulation explain why the self‐steering capacity of the medical profession was largely or at least partially preserved through hybrid governance systems in B ritain and G ermany, while in F rance the self‐regulation was entirely replaced by governmental intervention.