Theories of Public Policy Political Science 342 Douglas Brown January 2008

The Role of Theory 1. Empirical generalizations 2. Paradigmatic model 3. Critical ideology Why theory needs to change…. new empirical evidence new crises and perspectives new ways of considering knowledge

Schools of Theory Pluralism Hybrid: public choice Institutionalism (or Elite Theory) Hybrid: Neo-institutionalism Marxist / Class analysis Hybrid: Neo-marxist

Comparing Theories

Pluralism Rule by the many and the diverse Focus on individuals and their values Society-centred The State is implicit only Dominant view of US political science Key preoccupations: elections, influence and lobbying, polling Major theoretical hybrid: Public Choice

Recent Trends Reinforcing the power of Pluralist Theory …. Information technology empowers individuals Media concentration and convergence can keep the state in check Advent of global civil society

Recent trends challenging Pluralist theory Increasing recognition of group/ collective rights Intensifying of the privileged position of business Religious fundamentalism

Public Choice: a Pluralism Hybrid Applying economics assumptions and methods to politics Rational choice of individuals is what explains political behaviour Bureaucrats are “budget-maximizing” individuals Game theory: simplified logical interactions help plot out complex relationships

Institutional or Elite Theory The rule of institutions Focus on organizations and behaviour of office- holders State-centred: Society molded and led by the State Dominant view of European theorists Key preoccupations: leadership, coercion, decision-making, accommodation, organizational logic Major hybrid: Neo-institutionalism

Recent trends that reinforce power of institutional theory Sponsorship scandal (what counts is insider politics) Rise of global governance/ regimes Charter-shaping of moral issues/politics Concentration of media ownership (interlocking elites)

Challenges to Institutional theory Globalization weakening the nation- state Organized crime/ drugs etc. outside control of states Welfare state reform and retrenchment Religious fundamentalism

Marxist or Class Analysis Rule by the dominant economic class of society Focus on class formation and “struggle” Society-centred A once-prominent perspective in academic circles Key preoccupations: capital accumulation, class hegemony, State legitimacy, emancipation of labour Major hybrids: neo-marxism, neo-institutionalism

Recent Trends reinforcing the power of Class Theory Dominance of property rights over environmental priorities Moral issues that mask materialist inequality Dominant position of capital in globalization Concentrated media ownership

Challenges to Class theory Demise of the USSR, other communist systems Success of consumerism Knowledge economy (“post-Fordism”) Religious fundamentalism Green politics

Conclusions …1 Pluralism is alive and well, expanding its scope to global civil society, Pluralism is increasingly challenged by new collective ideas, including religious fundamentalism Public choice still important, but less so, post-911

Conclusions…2 Institutionalism and elite theory: still important, especially in context of globalization and multilevel governance Marxism (Class theory) is still being imploded by feminism and environmentalism. Class theory is still capable of an effective explanation for the dominance of global capitalism.