Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables and figures
- Notes on contributors
- one Policy analysis in Germany: past, present and future of the discipline
- two Historical forerunners of policy analysis in Germany
- three The development of policy analysis in Germany: practical problems and theoretical concepts
- four Professionalisation of policy analysis in Germany: on the way or faraway?
- five Methods and study types in German policy analysis
- six Policy analysis in the German-speaking countries: common traditions, different cultures, in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
- seven Federal government: permanent in-house capacities – life within the ‘apparatus’
- eight Statist policy advice: policy analysis in the German Länder
- nine Local policy processes: economisation, professionalisation, democratisation
- ten Federal government in Germany: temporary, issue-related policy advice
- eleven Parliamentary in-house research services and policy-making in Germany: Sancho Panza or David's sling?
- twelve The German Bundestag and external expertise: policy orientation as counterweight to deparliamentarisation?
- thirteen From hand to mouth: parties and policy-making in Germany
- fourteen Policy analysis by trade unions and business associations in Germany
- fifteen Public interest groups and policy analysis: a push for evidence-based policy-making?
- sixteen Think tanks: bridging beltway and ivory tower?
- seventeen Non-university research institutes: between basic research, knowledge transfer to the public and policy analysis
- eighteen The role of policy analysis in teaching political science at German universities
- nineteen Academics and policy analysis: the tension between epistemic and practical concerns
- Index
seven - Federal government: permanent in-house capacities – life within the ‘apparatus’
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 February 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables and figures
- Notes on contributors
- one Policy analysis in Germany: past, present and future of the discipline
- two Historical forerunners of policy analysis in Germany
- three The development of policy analysis in Germany: practical problems and theoretical concepts
- four Professionalisation of policy analysis in Germany: on the way or faraway?
- five Methods and study types in German policy analysis
- six Policy analysis in the German-speaking countries: common traditions, different cultures, in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
- seven Federal government: permanent in-house capacities – life within the ‘apparatus’
- eight Statist policy advice: policy analysis in the German Länder
- nine Local policy processes: economisation, professionalisation, democratisation
- ten Federal government in Germany: temporary, issue-related policy advice
- eleven Parliamentary in-house research services and policy-making in Germany: Sancho Panza or David's sling?
- twelve The German Bundestag and external expertise: policy orientation as counterweight to deparliamentarisation?
- thirteen From hand to mouth: parties and policy-making in Germany
- fourteen Policy analysis by trade unions and business associations in Germany
- fifteen Public interest groups and policy analysis: a push for evidence-based policy-making?
- sixteen Think tanks: bridging beltway and ivory tower?
- seventeen Non-university research institutes: between basic research, knowledge transfer to the public and policy analysis
- eighteen The role of policy analysis in teaching political science at German universities
- nineteen Academics and policy analysis: the tension between epistemic and practical concerns
- Index
Summary
Introduction
Ministerial bureaucracy fulfils a key function within the German political system. Compared to parliament(s) and party central offices, federal ministries traditionally have access to a much more differentiated and sophisticated as well as professional and competent political ‘apparatus’ to provide information and appropriate solutions for society. Thus, over the years, ministerial bureaucracy has set up strong in-house capacities. More than 18,000 people are employed at federal ministries, about one half in Berlin and the other half in Bonn – a difficult situation that goes back to the times of unification.
But in an increasingly complex world these capacities seem to be reaching their limits – and have been more and more supplemented by scientific advisory boards (for instance, the German Council of Economic Experts) and influential commissions of experts (see Chapter 10, this volume). Prominent examples of this are the Hartz Commission (2002: labour market reforms), the Rürup Commission (2002/03: pensions, health and care insurance reforms) and the Süssmuth Commission (2000/01: immigration policies) or the latest Ethikkommission für eine sichere Energieversorgung (2011: Expert Commission on [Renewable] Energy Supply). Is this evolution of external commissions accompanied by a downgrade of the permanent in-house capacities of the federal government? Or is it more for the ‘frontstage’ of public debates?
Reform policy, planning and political administrative capacities: a short history since the mid-1960s
The process of public policy-making includes the manner in which problems get conceptualised and brought to government for solution; governmental institutions formulate alternatives and select policy solutions; and those solutions get implemented, evaluated, and revised. (Sabatier, 1999, p 3)
According to this, policy-making and policy analysis are core functions of the modern state. They are situated institutionally in governments, administration, parliament and the public. Time-wise policy-making moves along the policy cycle, from agenda-setting, formulation and decision-making about policies to their evaluation. Lastly, there is a functional dimension, a differentiation along policy areas or sub-systems, and that means mostly according to the respective ministries (Grunow, 2003; Howlett and Ramesh, 2003).
We are dealing with a complex set of issues that are difficult to be reflected analytically and where a considerable amount of variance occurs. This makes it particularly difficult to establish ‘large’ theories or to develop recommendations for action that can be generalised.
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- Information
- Policy Analysis in Germany , pp. 91 - 104Publisher: Bristol University PressPrint publication year: 2013