Universiteit Utrecht
Policymaking in a European Context
Future Visions and Competing Powers Wieger Bakker
Utrecht School of Governance
Bart van Steenbergen
Faculty of Social Sciences
Utrecht University
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Effective and accountable policymaking: a European Imperative
Wieger Bakker
1. Policy: What are we talking about and why are we
talking about it.
2. Reasons for Public Policy
3. Perspectives on Public Policy
4. The European Imperative
5. Governance as a normative concept
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1. What is a policy (meaning and definition)
field of activity decision of government organisational routines a programme a process
Narrow definition
A policy is the attempt to reach certain ends with certain means in a certain period of time
Broad definition
A policy is an attempt to define and structure a rational basis for action or for inaction
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2. Reasons for public policy
1 Prevention from monopoly and cartels (protecting the market)
2 Production of collective goods (complementing the market)
3 Regulating external effects (protection against the market)
4 Controling merit goods
(correcting the market)
5 Redistribution (compensating for the market)
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3. Perspectives on Public Policy
Liberalism
Market
Peronal Freedom
Relativism
Limited Government
Freedom
Social-Democrats
Plan
Economic and Personal Freedom
Voluntarism
Active Government
Equality
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Christian Democrats
Mixed order
(Corporatism)
Harmony
Structuralism
NGO's and
Government
Intervention
Fraternity
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4. The European Imperative
Experience
Subjects ?
Styles, organization, modes of operation ?
Level ?
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5. Governance as a normative concept
Concept of Governance (or good Governance)
White Paper on European Governance, July 2001
The Principles of Good Governance
Openness (confidence and trust)
Participation (confidence and legitimacy) Accountability Effectiveness '
Coherence
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"Policies must be effective and timely, delivering what is needed on the basis of clear objectives, an evaluation of future impact and, where available, of past experience."
Effectiveness and Accountability as (European) Imperatives
effectiveness is imperative in the relation between states.
- In international cooperation
- In the relation between the present members of the EU
- In the relation between the member states and the EU
itself
- In the relation between the EU/member states and the
states that are going to enter the EU
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Trust and morality as a guarantee for fair play on the free market and to prevent unequal competition between states.
Accountable:
citizens as stakeholders: politicians, states, union need, 'legitimacy', need to be 'trusted', in democracy can be held accountable for their actions
Accountability is seen as a precondition for effective and legitimate governance