Between Autonomy and Capture: Embedding Government Agencies in Their Societal Environment
In: Policy studies journal: the journal of the Policy Studies Organization, Band 20, Heft 3, S. 342-364
ISSN: 1541-0072
This article uses organization theory and political economy to develop a conceptual framework, for analyzing factors that shape relations between government agencies and their social environment. The framework conceptualizes these relations as social networks composed of actors engaged in the exchange of resources. Then, it develops an understanding of how cultural norms shape these exchanges. The article concludes by examining the framework's normative implications. In particular, it explores when agency autonomy promotes effective policy implementation and when it results in unaccountability. It also demonstrates that, in many cases, an agency's dependence on actors in its environment may enhance the effectiveness of policy implementation.