The Politics of Information in the Policy Process

Session Submission Type: Full Submitted Panel

Session Description

The papers in this panel address the conference theme of “The Quest for Legitimacy: Actors, Audiences and Aspirations” by examining the multiple ways information feeds into in the policymaking process. Information has a significant impact both on input and output legitimacy. On the input side, proper and transparent problem definition is key to communicate government priorities to professional stakeholders and citizens. On the output side, information is critical to assess and communicate how effective past policy programs have been. Both dimensions are essentially political and pose central concerns in an era of declining trust in government. Too often, policy decisions and their implementation have come under heavy attacks of being unresponsive to actual societal demands. What is now termed “post-truth politics” describes this phenomenon of citizens, populist politicians and parts of the media disregarding expert and scientific and objective information. This has important implications for citizen perceptions of bureaucratic legitimacy.

The papers on this panel examine this phenomenon through a range of methodologies and approaches by examining the informational responses of the US Congress to the economic crisis of 2007-08 [Jones et al.], by looking at the way policy agendas and their informational base change over time in EU states and regions [Kleibrink et al.]; how national MPs respond to voter requests in France and Germany [Breunig, Grossmann & Hänni]; and how formal models can explain bargaining outcomes between the US President, organized interests and government agencies [Rezaee].

Sub Unit

• DIVISION 25: PUBLIC POLICY

Cosponsor

• DIVISION 24: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Individual Presentations

• Informational Responses to the Economic Crisis of 2007-08 - Bryan D. Jones, University of Texas, Austin; Robert Shaffer, University of Texas, Austin; JoBeth Surface Shafran, Western Carolina University

• Comparing Policy Agendas in European States and Regions over Time - Alexander Kleibrink, Hertie School of Governance; Slava Mikhaylov, University of Essex; Rioh Burke-Derby, Vektor Solutions; Alfio Antonino Puglisi, UCL

• When Do MPs Respond to Voter Requests? Studying Conditional Responsiveness - Christian Breunig, University of Konstanz; Miriam Hänni, Universität Konstanz; Emiliano Grossman, Sciences Po

• Agencies, the President, and Policy Negotiations in the Executive Branch  - Janna Rezaee, University of Southern California

Chair

• John W. Patty University of Chicago

Discussants

• John W. Patty University of Chicago

• JoBeth Surface Shafran Western Carolina University