Abstract
Our aim is to explain a particular theoretical framework to investigate the phenomenon of policy-related expertise and policy work in political parties, to show—using the example of Czech political parties—the construction of a research design and defend the use of specific methods. Political parties in Europe are in a privileged position of policy-making. We are interested in how the political parties generate expertise that is essential for their involvement in the policy-making process. Surprisingly, there has been little study of parties’ internal assumptions and their capacity to generate policy-related expertise. In this chapter, we create a theoretical framework that interconnects theories of political parties and theories of public policy (especially Katz and Mair’s cartel party theory, Harmel and Janda’s integrated theory of party goals and change and Howlett’s concept of policy capacity and policy analytical capacity). We also show possible connections between our research on political parties and existing research of policy work in public administration and NGOs.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Blyth, M., & Katz, R. (2005). From catch-all politics to cartelisation: The political economy of the cartel party. West European Politics, 28(1), 33–60.
Colebatch, H. K. (2004). Policy. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Colebatch, H. K. (2006). What work makes policy? Policy Sciences, 39(4), 309–321.
Colebatch, H. K. (2010). Giving accounts in policy work. In H. Colebatch, R. Hoppe, & M. Noordegraaf (Eds.), Working for policy (pp. 31–43). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
Colebatch, H. K., Hoppe, R., & Noordegraaf, M. (2010). Understanding policy work. In H. Colebatch, R. Hoppe, & M. Noordegraaf (Eds.), Working for policy (pp. 11–25). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
Craft, J., & Howlett, M. (2012a). Subsystem structures, shifting mandates and policy capacity: Assessing Canada’s ability to adapt to climate change. Canadian Political Science Review, 6(1), 3–14.
Craft, J., & Howlett, M. (2012b). Policy formulation, governance shifts and policy influence: Location and content in policy advisory systems. Journal of Public Policy, 32(2), 79–98.
Craft, J., & Howlett, M. (2013). The dual dynamics of policy advisory systems: The impact of externalization and politicization on policy advice. Policy and Society, 32(3), 187–197.
Cross, W. (2007). Policy study and development in Canada’s political parties. In L. Dobuzinskis, M. Howlett, & D. Laycock (Eds.), Policy analysis in Canada: The state of the art (pp. 610–635). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Evans, B., & Wellstead, A. (2013). Policy dialogue and engagament between non-governmental organizations and government: A survey of processes and instruments of Canadian policy workers. Central European Journal of Public Policy, 7(1), 60–87.
Fellegi, I. (1996). Strengthening our policy capacity: Report of the deputy ministers task force. Ottawa: Supply and Services Canada.
Gauja, A. (2013). The politics of party policy: From members to legislators. Houndmills: Palgrave.
Grunden, T. (2013). From hand to mouth: Parties and policy-making in Germany. In S. Blum & K. Schubert (Eds.), Policy analysis in Germany (pp. 181–195). Bristol: Policy Press.
Hall, P., & Taylor, R. (1996). Political science and the three new institutionalisms. Political Studies, XLIV: 936–957.
Halligan, J. (1995). Policy advice and the public sector. In B. Guy Peters & D. T. Savoie (Eds.), Governance in a changing environment (pp. 138–172). Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Haas, P., & Haas, E. (2002). Pragmatic constructivism and the study of international institutions. Millennium—Journal of International Studies, 31, 573–601.
Harmel, R., & Janda, K. (1994). An integrated theory of party goals and party change. Journal of Theoretical Politics, 6(3), 259–287.
Harmel, R. (2002). Party organizational change: Competing explanations? In K. Luther & F. Müller-Rommel (Eds.), Political parties in the New Europe: Political and analytical challanges (pp. 119–142). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hazan, R., & Rahat, G. (2010). Democracy within parties: Candidate selection methods and thein political consequences. Oxford: Oxford Universitz Press.
Howlett, M. (2009a). Policy analytical capacity and evidence-based policy-making: Lessons from Canada. Canadian Public Administration, 52(2), 153–173.
Howlett, M. (2009b). Policy advice in multi-level governance systems: Sub-national policy analysts and analysis. International Review of Public Administration, 13(3), 1–16.
Howlett, M., & Oliphant, S. (2010). Environmental research organizations and climate change policy analytical capacity: An assessment of the Canadian case. Canadian Political Science Review, 4(2–3), 18–35.
Janda, K. (1980). Political parties: A cross-national survey. New York: Free Press.
Janda, K. (1983). Cross-national measures of party organizations and organization theory. European Journal of Political Research, 11(3), 319–332.
Janda, K. (1990). Toward a performance theory of change in political parties. Prepared for delivery at the 12th World Congress of the International Sociological Association, Madrid, Spain, July9–13.
Katz, R., & Mair, P. (1992). Introduction: The cross-national study of party organizations. In R. Katz & P. Mair (Eds.), Party organizations: A data handbook on party organizations in Western democracies 1960–1990 (pp. 1–20). London: Sage.
Katz, R., & Mair, P. (1995). Changing models of party organization a party democracy: The emergence of the cartel party. Party Politics, 1(1), 5–31.
Katz, R., & Mair, P. (1996). Cadre, catch-all or cartel? A Rejoinder. Party Politics, 2(4), 525–534.
Katz, R., & Mair, P. (2002). The ascendancy of the party in public office: Party organizational change in twentieth-century democracies. In R. Gunther, J. Montero, & J. Linz (Eds.), Political parties: Old concepts and new challenges (pp. 113–135). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Katz, R., & Mair, P. (2009). The cartel party thesis: A restatement. Perspectives On Politcs, 7(4), 753–766.
Katz, R., & Mair, P. (2012). Parties, interest groups and cartels: A comment. Party Politics, 18(1), 107–111.
Krouwel, A. (2006). Party models. In R. Katz & W. Crotty (Eds.), Handbook of party politics (pp. 249–269). London: Sage.
Krouwel, A. (2012). Party transformations in European democracies. New York: State University of New York Press.
Kuhne, C. (2008). Politikberatung für Parteien: Akteure, Formen, Bedarfsfaktoren. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
Mair, P. (1994). Party organization: From civil society to the state. In R. Katz & P. Mair (Eds.), How parties organize: Change and adaptation in party organizations in Western democracies (pp. 1–22). London: Sage.
Mair, P. (1997). Party system change: Approaches a interpretations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mair, P. (2009). Representative versus responsible government (MPIfG Working Paper 09/8).
Mair, P., & Mudde, C. (1998). Party family and its study. Annual Review of Political Science, 1, 211–229.
March, J. (1993). Introduction to the second edition. In J. March & H. Simon (Eds.), Organizations (2nd ed., pp. 1–19). Oxford: Blackwell.
Marier, P. (2008). Empowering epistemic communities: Specialised politicians, policy experts and policy reform. West European Politics, 31(3): 513–533.
North, D. (1990). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Panebianco, A. (1988). Political parties: Organization and power. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Peters, B. G. (1996). The policy capacity of government. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Management Development.
Polášek, M., Novotný, V., Perottino, M., et al. (2012). Mezi masovou a kartelovou stranou: Možnosti teorie při výkladu vývoje ČSSD a KSČM v letech 2000–2010. Praha: SLON.
Riddell, N. (2007). Policy research capacity in the federal government. Ottawa: Policy Research Initiative.
Scott, R. (2003). Organizations: Rational, natural and open system. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Strom, K. (1990). A Behavioral theory of competitive political parties. American Journal of Political Science, 34(2), 565–598.
Van Biezen, I., Mair, P., & Poguntke, T. (2012). Going, going…gone? The decline of party membership in contemporary Europe. European Journal of Political Research, 51(1), 21–35.
Van Haute, E., & Gauja, A. (Eds.). (2015). Party members and activists. London: Routledge.
Veselý, A. (2013). Conducting large-N surveys on policy work in bureaucracies: Some methodological challenges and implications from the Czech Republic. Central European Journal of Public Policy, 7(2), 88–113.
Whiteley, P. (2011). Is the party over? The decline of party activism and membership across the democratic world. Party Politics, 17(1), 21–44.
Wolinetz, S. (2002). Beyond the catch-all party: Approaches to the study of parties and party organization in contemporary democracies. In R. Gunther, J. Montero, & J. Linz (Eds.), Political parties: Old concepts and new challenges (pp. 136–165). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Polášek, M., Novotný, V., Perottino, M. (2018). Policy-Related Expertise and Policy Work in Czech Political Parties: Theory and Methods. In: Wu, X., Howlett, M., Ramesh, M. (eds) Policy Capacity and Governance. Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54675-9_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54675-9_17
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-54674-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-54675-9
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)