Hardback
Public Policy and Political Institutions
The Role of Culture in Traffic Policy
9781840640649 Edward Elgar Publishing
Public Policies and Political Institutions explores the major questions posed by the advent of the new institutionalism in political science and public administration. It demonstrates how policy communities are influenced in thought and action by the values, rules, traditions and routines embedded in political systems.
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Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
Public Policies and Political Institutions explores the major questions posed by the advent of the new institutionalism in political science and public administration. It demonstrates how policy communities are influenced in thought and action by the values, rules, traditions and routines embedded in political systems.
Frank Hendriks compares traffic policy making in two major European cities – Munich in Germany and Birmingham in England. Using cultural and new institutional theory he is able to conclude that political institutions contribute to the mobilization of cultural bias in policy making. He shows that political institutions influence the interaction between different cultural perspectives on policy issues, which in turn influences the course that policy processes take. Ultimately, the author makes a plea for pluralistic and perspectivistic democracy.
This book will be welcomed by academics interested in public policy, public administration, political theory, environmental studies and urban planning, as well as local government policymakers and practitioners.
Frank Hendriks compares traffic policy making in two major European cities – Munich in Germany and Birmingham in England. Using cultural and new institutional theory he is able to conclude that political institutions contribute to the mobilization of cultural bias in policy making. He shows that political institutions influence the interaction between different cultural perspectives on policy issues, which in turn influences the course that policy processes take. Ultimately, the author makes a plea for pluralistic and perspectivistic democracy.
This book will be welcomed by academics interested in public policy, public administration, political theory, environmental studies and urban planning, as well as local government policymakers and practitioners.
Critical Acclaim
‘This is an impressive comparison of town planning procedures in two major cities. It explains why the citizens of Munich have been able to keep a beautiful and practical public space while the English experience in Birmingham is full of regrets. Frank Hendriks shows how the success of the one and the failure of the other depend on the balance between the various interested parties, the institutions for negotiating their interests, and the time allowed for deliberation. The book is the first to use cultural theory to analyse the negotiation of traffic problems. Written with admirable clarity, it is likely to be a classic in the field of public policy as modern cities flourish or come to grief according to how they deal with cars.’
– Mary Douglas, University College London, UK
– Mary Douglas, University College London, UK
Contents
Contents: Preface 1. Introduction Part I: Themes and Theories 2. Cars, Policy and Administration 3. Towards a Cultural Analysis of Policy Making 4. The Substance and Impact of Institutions Part II: Institutional Analysis 5. Coping with Cars in Birmingham and Munich 6. The Situational Factor in Policy Making 7. The Institutional Factor in Urban Government 8. The Institutional Factor in Home Administration Part III: Epilogue 9. The Importance of Institutions Bibliography Maps Index
