A guidebook sought to help grassroots communities analyze power with a view to achieving social change. Making change happen meant understanding both the power that prevented change from happening – protecting an unjust status quo – and the power within individuals and communities to create change.
Source: Raji Hunjan and Jethro Pettit, Power: A Practical Guide for Facilitating Social Change, Carnegie UK Trust
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the social construction of a European rule of law. It contested the view that such a transnational constitutional order was the direct outcome of the European Court of Justice's judicial fiat.
Source: Antonin Cohen and Antoine Vauchez, 'The social construction of law: the European Court of Justice and its legal revolution revisited', Annual Review of Law and Social Science, Volume 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the work of ministerial special advisers in transmitting policy ideas in government.
Source: Francesca Gains and Gerry Stoker, 'Special advisers and the transmission of ideas from the policy primeval soup', Policy & Politics, Volume 39 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
An article used empirical material from local government to look at how governance and governmentality perspectives were cross-fertilized to inform policy using research. Attempts to use an 'evidence base' had led to inconclusive results, because they failed to recognize the values and assumptions underlying 'neutral' facts.
Source: Liz Richardson, 'Cross-fertilisation of governance and governmentality in practical policy making on behaviour change', Policy & Politics, Volume 39 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
An article examined the relationships between policy-makers and academic evaluators during the Labour governments (1997-2010). Despite considerable investment in policy evaluation, a disconnexion between 'evidence' and 'argument' had limited the role of academic evaluators in the policy process.
Source: Helen Sullivan, '"Truth" junkies: using evaluation in UK public policy', Policy & Politics, Volume 39 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined the mechanisms through which the European Union played a role in domestic social policy changes. It focused on where, when, and how national actors used the tools and resources offered by the process of European integration to support them in pursuing national welfare reforms.
Source: Paolo Graziano, Sophie Jacquot, and Bruno Palier (eds.), The EU and the Domestic Politics of Welfare State Reforms, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined how policy and political decisions were shaped by the popular media. It considered the way in which the right-wing tabloid press influenced social policy using their ability to fan fears and prejudices.
Source: Malcolm Dean, Democracy Under Attack: How the media distort policy and politics, Policy Press
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Nov
A think-tank report said that the United Kingdom government should examine ways of 'repatriating' powers from the European Union – in particular, laws in the social field. It was 'unclear' whether there was any significant merit to deciding these laws at the EU level rather than nationally or sometimes locally. Repatriation would mean that the laws and regulations, and the benefits and costs that they generated, would be under the control of the UK parliament, empowering it to change them to better reflect local circumstances and national democratic preferences.
Source: Stephen Booth, Mats Persson, and Vincenzo Scarpetta, Repatriating EU Social Policy: The best choice for jobs and growth?, Open Europe
Links: Report | Open Europe press release
Date: 2011-Nov
The European Economic and Social Committee (a consultative body of the European Union) said that the European Commission should further strengthen the overall role of social impact assessment within its general impact assessment system: this should be recognized as a key tool for systematically ensuring that the EU's common social objectives were mainstreamed in all relevant policy areas. There should also be regular monitoring and reporting on the use of social impact assessments by member states in the context of developing the 'national reform programmes'.
Source: Strengthening EU Cohesion and EU Social Policy Coordination Through the New Horizontal Social Clause in Article 9 TFEU, European Economic and Social Committee
Links: Opinion
Date: 2011-Oct
A new book examined the administration of the European Union and the legal framework within which it operated. It looked at the multifarious approaches, techniques, and structures of public administration in order to assess the solutions that they offered to political, social, and economic problems.
Source: Herwig Hofmann, Gerard Rowe, and Alexander Turk, Administrative Law and Policy of the European Union, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Oct
A paper said that the streamlining of the European Commission's 'open method of co-ordination' in social policy fields (from 2006) had not lived up to original expectations or the goals stated in official documents.
Source: Sandra Kroger, Five Years Down the Road: An evaluation of the streamlining of the open method of coordination in social policy fields, Briefing Paper 8, European Social Observatory (Brussels)
Links: Paper
Notes: The open method of coordination (OMC) is an intergovernmental means of governance in the European Union, based on the voluntary co-operation of member states rather than the application of legislative measures.
Date: 2011-Oct
The government responded to a report by a committee of peers on ways of changing the population's behaviour. It said that it agreed with the 'vast majority' of its conclusions and recommendations.
Source: Government Response to the Science and Technology Select Committee Report on Behaviour Change, Cabinet Office
Links: Response
Notes: Peers report (July 2011)
Date: 2011-Sep
A group of newly elected Conservative MPs set out a range of policy proposals for a future Conservative government. They called for the restoration of personal responsibility and initiative. The 'socialization' of welfare, endeavour, and risk had 'sapped the spirit of enterprise'. Conservatives should challenge the 'entitlement state' where hard work did not result in reward. But they should also be prepared to break up monopolies in the private sector, where too often corporate managers received large rewards with no risk.
Source: Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Priti Patel MP, Dominic Raab MP, Chris Skidmore MP, and Liz Truss MP, After the Coalition: A Conservative agenda for Britain, Biteback Publishing
Links: Summary | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-Sep
A new book examined what the Labour party needed to do to regain power at national level, including a range of policy options.
Source: Tom Scholes-Fogg and Hisham Hamid (eds.), What Next for Labour? Ideas for a new generation, Queensferry Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Sep
A new book examined complexity theory in relation to social policy. Conventional approaches to the conceptualization and measurement of social and economic change were unsatisfactory: as a result, researchers were ill-equipped to offer policy advice. The author set out a new analytical approach, combining complexity science and institutionalism.
Source: Graham Room, Complexity, Institutions and Public Policy: Agile decision-making in a turbulent world, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Sep
A think-tank report said that the centre-left needed to harness the 'new sources of energy' in society in order to revive its political fortunes. The general public were 'anxious, insecure, and distrustful'. All political parties were struggling to come to terms with the volatility of economic, social, and cultural circumstances – of which panic on the trading floors and riots on the streets were just the most obvious manifestations.
Source: Graeme Cooke, Still Partying Like It?s 1995: How the centre-left can grasp the new sources of energy in society to transform politics, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Sep
An audit report examined what a value-for-money assessment of a behaviour change programme might focus on.
Source: Auditing Behaviour Change, National Audit Office
Date: 2011-Sep
The first annual report was published on the activities of a Cabinet Office team charged with finding ?intelligent' ways of influencing people's behaviour short of direct regulation – in ways that led to better choices affecting their own welfare and that of society generally.
Source: Behavioural Insights Team: Annual update 2010-11, Cabinet Office
Links: Report | Cabinet Office press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Sep
A new book examined the impact of European integration on social policy development since the launch (and re-launch) of the Lisbon strategy, and discussed the challenges posed by the global economic crisis of 2007-2009.
Source: Ipek Eren Vural (ed.), Converging Europe: Transformation of social policy in the enlarged European Union and in Turkey, Ashgate Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Aug
An article examined the role and impact of 'tsars' (increasingly being used in government to co-ordinate policy, deal with complex problems, and implement government goals). Focusing on tsars in the Department of Health, it looked at the resources that tsars had to shape policy outcomes.
Source: Martin Smith, 'Tsars, leadership and innovation in the public sector', Policy & Politics, Volume 39 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jul
A report by a committee of peers said that 'nudging' on its own was unlikely to be successful in changing the population's behaviour. Instead, a whole range of measures – including some regulatory measures – would be needed to change behaviour in a way that would make a real difference to society's biggest problems. Voluntary agreements with businesses in relation to public health had 'major failings'.
Source: Behaviour Change, 2nd Report (Session 2010-12), HL 179, House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | NICE press release | Nuffield Council press release | Sustain press release | Work Foundation press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Notes: 'Nudging' refers to the coalition government's strategy of seeking to alter behaviour through measures short of direct regulation.
Date: 2011-Jul
An article examined variation between member states in compliance with provisions of European Union laws, focusing on the Framework Equality Directive. Formal warnings by the Commission led to a better compliance record, while conflict in the Council did not affect the successful transposition of provisions.
Source: Asya Zhelyazkova and Rene Torenvlied, 'The successful transposition of European provisions by member states: application to the Framework Equality Directive', Journal of European Public Policy, Volume 18 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jul
A paper examined the making of social policy at European Union level, focusing on the political 'discourse' exemplified by the 'open method of coordination' (OMC).
Source: Jean-Claude Barbier, Changes in Political Discourse from the Lisbon Strategy to Europe 2020: Tracing the fate of ?social policy??, Working Paper 2011-01, European Trade Union Institute
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jun
A new book presented an extensive analysis of the coalition government's social policies.
Source: Chris Holden, Majella Kilkey, and Gaby Ramia (eds.), Social Policy Review 23: Analysis and debate in social policy, 2011, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jun
A new book examined the decision-making processes in the European Union, and why progress occurred in some areas at the same time as blockages characterized others.
Source: Gerda Falkner (ed.), The EU's Decision Traps: Comparing policies, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jun
A new book examined the policy and institutional challenges facing the European Union, including the consequences of the Lisbon Treaty, the reform of economic governance in light of the economic and financial crisis, and the future of 'social Europe'.
Source: Loukas Tsoukalis and Janis Emmanouilidis (eds.), The Delphic Oracle on Europe: Is there a future for the European Union?, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jun
A paper examined ways of reinvigorating the social open method of co-ordination (OMC) in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy. The OMC for social protection and social inclusion had proved a 'flexible, successful and effective instrument' to bring forward common priorities for social policy at European Union and national level: but there was a need to improve its visibility and impact.
Source: Social Protection Committee, The Future of the Social Open Method of Coordination (OMC), European Commission
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jun
A new book presented a theoretical and comparative empirical study of new 'social pacts' in Europe (agreements based on dialogue between governments and social partners). It considered national variation in reliance on social pacts; what determined the outcomes of individual pact negotiations; and the conditions under which pacts were repeated and became regular features of socio-economic governance.
Source: Sabina Avdagic, Martin Rhodes, and Jelle Visser (eds.), Social Pacts in Europe: Emergence, evolution, and institutionalization, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jun
A think-tank report examined attempts to improve policy-making over the previous 14 years. It looked at the Treasury's 'policy cycle' process, the Cabinet Office's definition of 'good' policy, the creation of strategy units, and the new policy skills framework for civil servants. It said that these reforms had all fallen short because they had not taken account of the crucial role of politics and ministers, and had therefore failed to build ways of making policy that were resilient to the real pressures and incentives in the system.
Source: Michael Hallsworth with Simon Parker and Jill Rutter, Policy Making in the Real World: Evidence and analysis, Institute for Government
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jun
A new book examined law-making procedures and participation in European Union governance. It called for the extension of participation rights in EU law, to offer better protection to those affected by European regulation.
Source: Joana Mendes, Participation in EU Rule-Making: A rights-based approach, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-May
A new book examined major issues in public policy – including drugs, crime and punishment, health, and disability – from a philosophical/ethical perspective.
Source: Jonathan Wolff, Ethics and Public Policy: A philosophical inquiry, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-May
A new book examined the emergence, execution, and evolution of new modes of governance across several policy fields within the European Union.
Source: Udo Diedrichs, Wulf Reiners, and Wolfgang Wessels (eds.), The Dynamics of Change in EU Governance, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-May
An article examined the effects of the Lisbon Strategy on the way in which national executives co-ordinated European Union policy at the domestic level. There was evidence that the Lisbon Strategy had been advancing (further) centralization and politicization in national patterns of EU policy co-ordination, empowering 'core' executives.
Source: Susana Borrs and Guy Peters, 'The Lisbon Strategy's empowerment of core executives: centralizing and politicizing EU national co-ordination', Journal of European Public Policy, Volume 18 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-May
A new book examined the coalition government in the context of conservative ideas, and sought to assess what – if anything – was new about it.
Source: Peter King, The New Politics: Liberal conservatism or same old Tories?, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-May
An article examined the Lisbon Strategy as a mode of governance. Although co-ordination was the central organizational device of the strategy, it had multiple meanings and could not be reduced to the open method of co-ordination: 'soft' co-ordination was combined with 'hard' law.
Source: Stijn Smismans, 'From harmonization to co-ordination? EU law in the Lisbon governance architecture', Journal of European Public Policy, Volume 18 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-May
An article examined the creation, evolution, and national impact of the European Union Lisbon Strategy. 'Institutional ambiguity' was used strategically by coalitions at the EU and national level in (re-)defining its ideational and organizational elements.
Source: Susana Borrs and Claudio Radaelli, 'The politics of governance architectures: creation, change and effects of the EU Lisbon Strategy', Journal of European Public Policy, Volume 18 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-May
A paper examined the 'open method of co-ordination' in the area of European Union employment policies. In practice very little co-ordination was in place: although there was a need to acquire relevant information, it was difficult to transform knowledge into political will and then into action. There seemed to be a problem of communication between the centre and periphery of the EU.
Source: Silvana Sciarra, Experiments in the Open Method of Coordination: Measuring the impact of EU employment policies, Working Paper 06, Center for Labor and Economic Growth (Rome)
Links: Paper
Notes: The open method of co-ordination (OMC) is an intergovernmental means of governance in the European Union, based on the voluntary co-operation of member states rather than the application of legislative measures.
Date: 2011-May
A briefing paper examined the coalition government's plan to change the way in which European Union law was transposed into national law in order to avoid 'gold-plating' and minimize the regulatory 'burdens'.
Source: Vaughne Miller, EU Legislation: Government Action on Gold-Plating , Standard Note SN/IA/5943, House of Commons Library
Links: Briefing paper
Date: 2011-Apr
An article examined the use that was made of evidence in making policy, based on participant observation in a team of policy-making civil servants. The civil servants displayed a high level of commitment to the use of evidence: but their use of it was hampered by the huge volume of various kinds of evidence, and by the unsuitability of much academic research for answering policy questions.
Source: Alex Stevens, 'Telling policy stories: an ethnographic study of the use of evidence in policy-making in the UK', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 40 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Apr
The government began consultation on ways to promote direct engagement between government ministers, women, and organizations that represented women – in order to ensure that government understood the views of a wide range of women, and provided the opportunity for a 'two way dialogue' on policies that affected women.
Source: Strengthening Women s Voices in Government: Transforming the way the government engages and listens to women in the United Kingdom, Government Equalities Office
Links: Consultation document | Hansard | GEO press release
Date: 2011-Mar
A new book presented a model for the analysis of public policy, and gave examples of its application in everyday political-administrative situations.
Source: Peter Knoepfel, Corinne Larrue, Frederic Varone, and Michael Hill, Public Policy Analysis, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Mar
A new book examined the development and content of the Conservative party's approaches to social policy, and how they informed the policies of the coalition government.
Source: Hugh Bochel (ed.), The Conservative Party and Social Policy, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Mar
A think-tank report said that tackling the biggest policy challenges, such as climate change and social inequality, needed to start with small conversations between friends and neighbours. Linking these small groups together could create the basis for new social movements.
Source: Perry Walker and Stephen Whitehead, Connected Conversations: Tackling big issues by linking small conversations, New Economics Foundation
Date: 2011-Feb
A report examined the role of national parliaments in the European system of governance. There was confusion over how many of the new 'post-Lisbon' prerogatives belonged to individual national chambers, and how many required a collective response: until the latter was organized effectively, national parliaments would remain 'paper tigers' in the European Union decision-making process.
Source: Piotr Maciej Kaczynski, Paper Tigers or Sleeping Beauties? National parliaments in the post-Lisbon European political system, Centre for European Policy Studies (Brussels)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Feb
A report (by an official advisory body) said that government departments needed to improve the quality of analysis and evidence provided to support regulatory proposals, in particular in relation to the assessment of costs and benefits.
Source: Challenging Regulation, Regulatory Policy Committee
Links: Report | RPC press release
Date: 2011-Feb
The European Union adopted a regulation laying down new rules on how member states controlled the European Commission's exercise of its implementing powers. The regulation replaced a European Council decision of 1999 on the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (the 'Comitology decision') as far as consultation, management, and regulatory procedures were concerned. The regulation established an advisory procedure and an examination procedure. The regulation also gave the European Parliament and the Council a right of scrutiny, allowing either institution to tell the Commission that a proposed implementing act exceeded the Commission's powers. The regulation would enter into force on 1 March 2011.
Source: Press release 14 February 2011, European Union
Links: European Union press release | Regulation
Date: 2011-Feb
The European Union adopted a regulation making it possible for citizens to call for legislative proposals on a specific issue. The 'European citizens' initiative' would enable citizens to ask the Commission to bring forward legislative proposals if the supporters of an initiative numbered at least 1 million and came from a significant number of member states.
Source: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Citizens' Initiative, European Union
Links: Regulation | Addendum | European Union press release
Date: 2011-Feb
A think-tank pamphlet set out the views of six new MPs from the three main parties on key policy challenges, including: welfare reform; housing supply; higher education; and pensions. A Labour MP criticized the coalition government for taking too soft a line with unemployed benefit claimants.
Source: Ryan Shorthouse (ed.), The Class of 2010: New MPs on future policy, Social Market Foundation
Links: Pamphlet | SMF press release
Date: 2011-Feb
A new book examined how social science was applied in practice. There was no such thing as a 'pure' science of the social, and attempts to mimic the approaches of the conventional 'hard sciences' were mostly useless.
Source: David Byrne, Applying Social Science: The role of social research in politics, policy and practice, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Feb
An article examined the Scottish experience of evidence-based policy-making. A recent shift of focus by the Scottish Government towards outcomes indicated a potential strengthening of the role of evidence in policy-making, and the development of strategic policy frameworks had involved extensive use of evidence.
Source: Ian Sanderson, 'Evidence-based policy or policy-based evidence? Reflections on Scottish experience', Evidence & Policy, Volume 7 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Feb
A report examined national organizations in the member countries of the European Union that were referred to collectively as 'economic and social councils or similar institutions'. It noted that the United Kingdom was one of six member states where there was no similar institution: the continental concept of social partnership was 'still not completely comprehensible to the British'.
Source: EU National Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions, European Economic and Social Committee (European Union)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Feb
A new book examined a 'new style of decision making' within the European Union that was heavily dependent on non-hierarchical and mutually interdependent relationships – along with a novel problem-solving style aimed at building consensus. It explored the roots, execution, and applications of the new forms of governance and evaluated their success. It also examined the possible structural consequences of the application of these modes at European and national levels, and their implications for democratic accountability.
Source: Adrienne Heritier and Martin Rhodes (eds.), New Modes of Governance in Europe: Governing in the shadow of hierarchy, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Feb
A paper examined lobbying coalitions as the major determinants of interest group influence on policy formulation in the European Union.
Source: Heike Kluver, Lobbying in Coalitions: Interest group influence on European Union policy-making, Working Papers in Politics 2011-04, Nuffield College (University of Oxford)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Feb
An article examined strategies for 'governing the social' that placed a premium on involving 'ordinary people' in their processes. The value of involving ordinary people was their assumed apolitical character and their capacity to bring values, knowledge, and other resources that were beyond the state. But whereas keeping politics out of governing might be a governmental ambition, ordinary people could not be relied on to perform in such ways.
Source: John Clarke, 'Enrolling ordinary people: governmental strategies and the avoidance of politics?', Citizenship Studies, Volume 14 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
A paper said that the extent to which national administrations transposed European Union directives in a timely fashion might be related to how transposition was co-ordinated inside national ministries. Ministries with strong internal oversight tended to be better at timely transposition, while ministries with no or weak oversight performed worse.
Source: Radoslaw Zubek and Katarina Staronova, Ministerial Transposition of EU Directives: Can oversight improve performance?, Working Paper 09/2010, Institute for European Integration Research (Vienna)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jan
A new book examined more collaborative, effective, and human ways of working and making decisions, in the context of Paul Hirst's views on associative democracy. Individual chapters covered: associative democracy and the Big Society; associative democracy and local government; associational welfare; democracy in welfare provision; and user engagement in social policy and older people's care.
Source: Andrea Westall (ed.), Revisiting Associative Democracy: How to get more co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration into our economy, our democracy, our public services, and our lives, Lawrence & Wishart
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jan
A paper presented the findings from two large-scale research projects on (non-)compliance with European Union law in the fields of social policy, working time, and equal treatment policies. There were serious compliance problems almost everywhere in the European Union – particularly when enforcement and application of standards was required, and not only formal transposition into domestic law.
Source: Gerda Falkner, Compliance with EU Social Policies in Old and New Member States: Different worlds, different remedies, Working Paper 06/2010, Institute for European Integration Research (Vienna)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jan
A new book examined the emerging governance of social inclusion in the European Union and the use of the open method of co-ordination as a mechanism of 'Europeanization' of domestic social policy.
Source: Kenneth Armstrong, Governing Social Inclusion: Europeanization through policy coordination, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Notes: The open method of co-ordination (OMC) is an intergovernmental means of governance in the European Union, based on the voluntary co-operation of member states rather than the application of legislative measures.
Date: 2011-Jan
An article examined the formulation of general policy conclusions based on social science investigations. It said that the technique of 'phronesis' developed principles for doing so experientially, setting them against empirical evidence, and did not need to consider underlying causal mechanisms in order to be effective. Phronesis provided the basis for a critique of technocratic approaches, a rationale for action, and a focus for the development of alternative methods and approaches. A dependence on phronesis could not avoid all the pitfalls associated with generalization: but it was more flexible, and less presumptuous, than a causal approach.
Source: Paul Spicker, 'Generalisation and phronesis: rethinking the methodology of social policy', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 40 Issue 1
Links: Abstract | Response (1) | Response (2)
Date: 2011-Jan
A report examined the merits and problems of the open method of co-ordination in the European Union, and presented specific proposals on how it could be developed – particularly in view of the Europe 2020 strategy.
Source: Susana Borras and Claudio Radaelli, Recalibrating the Open Method of Coordination: Towards diverse and more effective usages, Report 7, Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies
Notes: The open method of coordination (OMC) is an intergovernmental means of governance in the European Union, based on the voluntary co-operation of member states rather than the application of legislative measures.
Date: 2011-Jan