Policy-making in the EU Flashcards
Why do national governments engage in the delegation of powers to international regimes?
- Driven by the existence of transnational problems that cannot be effectively addressed by individual countries. Examples: environment, diseases and migration.
- Driven by economic interdependencies: Race to the top or bottom? Often regulation occurs due to their interlinked nature.
What three analytical dimensions are there to international responses?
- Forms: international organisations, international regimes and coalitions (countries coming together with common interests) or groupings
- Scope: international, regional, cultural and/or functional (e.g., NATO)
- Policy sector: single issue vs. multi issue.
Why is policy-making beyond the nation state difficult?
High heterogeneity of national interests and the demanding decision-making quorums
What are the three problem types to policy formulation?
Coordination problem: refer to constellation in which the involved countries have a string common interest in joint solutions and they agree about a specific solution.
Agreement: more difficult when the solution is redistributive in nature. However, often we can observe a race to the top rather than bottom.
Defection problems: the involved countries prefer to free-ride, taking advantage of the contributions of the others. Might hamper the emergence of an international agreement or cause serious compliance problems.
How does the leader countries affect policy formulation?
The dynamics of international cooperation may be affected by the pioneering activities of leader countries.
These dynamics emerge from the interests of national governments in minimising the institutional costs of adjusting domestic regulatory arrangements to EU policy requirements.
The most promising way to do this is to use the strategy at first of mover.
What is the expectation of limited policy development beyond the national state based on?
Static interests
However, national representatives may develop a common understanding of problem and solutions, such that national ideas and interests are not regarded as static
When is deliberation more likely in policy formulation?
When:
- Redistributive effects are uncertain
- National representatives interacts over long time
- There is an institutional setting which supports regular and continuous interaction.
At the implementation level, how is the design relevant?
Policy designs the allow member states a high discretion with regard to the interpretation of policy requirements.
Use of gauge and open legal terms that leave a lot of room for interpretation during national implementation.
Member states opposing a certain policy are often appeased by granting them specific exemptions.
How many are involved in the implementation of international policies?
Given the multilevel process, the implementation of international policies usually involves more institutional levels and actors than is usually the case for national political systems.
Whos responsibility is it to live up to the international policies?
The member states’
Which problems can arise with the implementation of international policies?
Limited resources for enforcement.
Difficult to monitor and control.
How does international law affect at the member state level?
International law has no direct effect at the member state level except in the EU due to supremacy and direct effect.
What could be the reason for high level of compliance with international agreements?
High rates of compliance can be due to the fact that international agreements may not depart much from what states would have done in their absence.
High rates of compliance can be due to states concern about their international reputation. But:
- Changes in policy salience and government
- Costs of reputation or exclusion vs domestic gains
What has the policy cycle been criticised for?
- The stages of the policy process are not discrete
- Policies are sometimes developed in advance of there being a specific problem (Garbage can model)
- Not explicitly capturing the interaction between multiple policies being pursued.
- There are multiple, asynchronous policy cycles operating at different levels of governance.
- Does not provide for a causal theory of policy-making.
How is governance occurring in decentralised networks?
Governing is occurring less through hierarchical authority structures and more through negotiation and persuasion within more decentralised networks.
Who are the main actors in the policy process in the EU?
The main actors in the policy process are politicians (decision-makers), bureaucrats (advisers/executing) and interest groups (promoters).
Which interest groups, firms and parts of the state engage in the policy process?
That and how much autonomy the government has from societal actors vary with the type of policy at issue.
Who is the key audience to persuade to put an issue forward in the EU?
In those policy areas in which the Commission has the exclusive right of initiative, the Commission is the key audience that must be persuaded to put an issue forward.
Can the commission solely decide on issues?
No, the Commission is constrained in that it needs external support from other EU institutional actors.
How is the policy cycle constructed in the EU?
- Agenda setting
- Policy formulation
- Policy decision
- Implementation
- Feedback
How is the policy formulation in the EU policy cycle?
Policy formulation is a relatively open process in the EU, but, as with agenda-setting, the Commission is the pivotal actor in policy formation in those policy areas where it has sole right of initiative.
Crucially, its central role in agenda-setting and policy formulation give the Commission a significant say in many EU policies even if its role in decision-making is limited.
What is executive politics in the decision-making process in the EU policy cycle?
Executive politics: delegated decision-making where the Commission decision-making must consider what authority has been delegated to it and how its preferences relate to those of the member states on the issue in question.
What is legislative politics in the decision-making process in the EU policy cycle?
Legislative politics: because of the separation of executive and legislative authority, the legislative politics of the EU is arguably more closely analogous to that of the US than to those of most EU member states. EP takes decision based on party group whereas Council tends to take decisions based on consensus.
What does the literature say about the implementation process in the EU policy cycle?
The literature has been more concerned with the EU’s impact on national institutions than with how national institutions actually implement and enforce EU policies.
