‘Who else would we speak to?’ National Policy Networks in post-devolution Britain: The case of spatial planning

Morphet, Janice; Clifford, Ben

doi:10.1177/0952076716669978

Cited by 1 publication

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References 59 publications

(75 reference statements)

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“…Informal working can serve to promote effectiveness in governance networks. For example, it can help to build interpersonal and inter-organizational trust, which has shown to be a valuable asset in achieving network objectives in devolved contexts (Morphet and Clifford, 2018). Indeed, if the network performs well, the argument is made that informal structures and procedures can be defended as legitimate as they are in the best interests of the affected parties.…”

Section: Informal Governance and Democratic Legitimacymentioning

confidence: 99%

A decentred assessment of the impact of ‘informal governance’ on democratic legitimacy

Ayres

2020

Public Policy and Administration

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The aim of this article is to examine the impact of informal governance on democratic legitimacy. It draws on the literatures on informal governance and decentred theory to examine how governance mechanisms that are un-written, un-codified and non-institutional impact on democratic legitimacy in governance networks. Drawing on a case study of English devolution in the United Kingdom, this article explores how informal governance impacts on different dimensions of legitimacy -input, throughout and output. It does so by drawing on the narratives and stories of central government officials directly involved in English devolution between 2015 and 2018. Findings reveal that even when formal structures are weak, democratic legitimacy can be secured, especially in promoting effective decision making and problem solving -throughput legitimacy. Nonetheless, a decentred analysis has shown a high level of selectivity and differentiation in central-local relationships that undermines legitimation based on input (inclusiveness) and outcome (results) legitimacy. This assessment provides important new insights into how governance networks characterized by high levels of informality can promote democratic legitimacy in ways that reflect the nuances of political decision making in highly complex environments. The challenge for politicians and policy makers moving forward is to actively manage the inevitable trade-offs generated through the use of informality if accusations of a democratic deficit are to be averted.

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Section: Informal Governance and Democratic Legitimacymentioning

confidence: 99%

A decentred assessment of the impact of ‘informal governance’ on democratic legitimacy

Ayres

2020

Public Policy and Administration

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

‘Who else would we speak to?’ National Policy Networks in post-devolution Britain: The case of spatial planning

Cited by 1 publication

References 59 publications

A decentred assessment of the impact of ‘informal governance’ on democratic legitimacy

A decentred assessment of the impact of ‘informal governance’ on democratic legitimacy

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