Interdependent policy instrument preferences: a two-mode network approach. (30th July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Metz, Florence; Leifeld, Philip; Ingold, Karin
• Is Part Of: Journal of public policy. Volume 39:Number 4(2019)
• Page Start: 609
• Page End: 636
• Publication Date: 2018-07-30
• Subjects: collaboration, -- exponential random graph models, -- policy instruments, -- policy instrument preferences, -- policy networks, -- two-mode networks; Policy sciences -- Periodicals; 351.007205
• DOI: 10.1017/S0143814X18000181
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0143-814X

Abstract

Abstract: In policymaking, actors are likely to take the preferences of others into account when strategically positioning themselves. However, there is a lack of research that conceives of policy preferences as an interdependent system. In order to analyse interdependencies, we link actors to their policy preferences in water protection, which results in an actor-instrument network. As actors exhibit multiple preferences, a complex two-mode network between actors and policies emerges. We analyse whether actors exhibit interdependent preference profiles given shared policy objectives or social interactions among them. By fitting an exponential random graph model to the actor-instrument network, we find considerable clustering, meaning that actors tend to exhibit preferences for multiple policy instruments in common. Actors tend to exhibit interdependent policy preferences when they are interconnected, that is, they collaborate with each other. By contrast, actors are less likely to share policy preferences when a conflict line divides them.