Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Policy-Related Expertise and Policy Work in Czech Political Parties: Theory and Methods

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Policy Capacity and Governance

Part of the book series: Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy ((PEPP))

  • 1238 Accesses

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

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.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colebatch, H. K. (2004). Policy. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colebatch, H. K. (2006). What work makes policy? Policy Sciences, 39(4), 309–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fellegi, I. (1996). Strengthening our policy capacity: Report of the deputy ministers task force. Ottawa: Supply and Services Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gauja, A. (2013). The politics of party policy: From members to legislators. Houndmills: Palgrave.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, P., & Taylor, R. (1996). Political science and the three new institutionalisms. Political Studies, XLIV: 936–957.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haas, P., & Haas, E. (2002). Pragmatic constructivism and the study of international institutions. Millennium—Journal of International Studies, 31, 573–601.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harmel, R., & Janda, K. (1994). An integrated theory of party goals and party change. Journal of Theoretical Politics, 6(3), 259–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazan, R., & Rahat, G. (2010). Democracy within parties: Candidate selection methods and thein political consequences. Oxford: Oxford Universitz Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Howlett, M. (2009a). Policy analytical capacity and evidence-based policy-making: Lessons from Canada. Canadian Public Administration, 52(2), 153–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janda, K. (1980). Political parties: A cross-national survey. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janda, K. (1983). Cross-national measures of party organizations and organization theory. European Journal of Political Research, 11(3), 319–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, R., & Mair, P. (1996). Cadre, catch-all or cartel? A Rejoinder. Party Politics, 2(4), 525–534.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, R., & Mair, P. (2009). The cartel party thesis: A restatement. Perspectives On Politcs, 7(4), 753–766.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, R., & Mair, P. (2012). Parties, interest groups and cartels: A comment. Party Politics, 18(1), 107–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krouwel, A. (2006). Party models. In R. Katz & W. Crotty (Eds.), Handbook of party politics (pp. 249–269). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krouwel, A. (2012). Party transformations in European democracies. New York: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhne, C. (2008). Politikberatung für Parteien: Akteure, Formen, Bedarfsfaktoren. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mair, P. (1997). Party system change: Approaches a interpretations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mair, P. (2009). Representative versus responsible government (MPIfG Working Paper 09/8).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mair, P., & Mudde, C. (1998). Party family and its study. Annual Review of Political Science, 1, 211–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • March, J. (1993). Introduction to the second edition. In J. March & H. Simon (Eds.), Organizations (2nd ed., pp. 1–19). Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marier, P. (2008). Empowering epistemic communities: Specialised politicians, policy experts and policy reform. West European Politics, 31(3): 513–533.

    Google Scholar 

  • North, D. (1990). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Panebianco, A. (1988). Political parties: Organization and power. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, B. G. (1996). The policy capacity of government. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Management Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riddell, N. (2007). Policy research capacity in the federal government. Ottawa: Policy Research Initiative.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, R. (2003). Organizations: Rational, natural and open system. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strom, K. (1990). A Behavioral theory of competitive political parties. American Journal of Political Science, 34(2), 565–598.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Haute, E., & Gauja, A. (Eds.). (2015). Party members and activists. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whiteley, P. (2011). Is the party over? The decline of party activism and membership across the democratic world. Party Politics, 17(1), 21–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Arts, Department of Political Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Martin Polášek

  2. Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Public and Social Policy, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Vilém Novotný

  3. Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Michel Perottino

Authors
  1. Martin Polášek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vilém Novotný
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michel Perottino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Polášek .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Public Policy, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

    Xun Wu

  2. Department of Political Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

    Michael Howlett

  3. Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    M Ramesh

Rights and permissions

Reprints 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

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation