The aim of this paper is to understand in which direction policies change in periods of crisis. Do they lead to the hardening of norms or the introduction of softer rules governing public policies? Based on the study of policy change in two periods of economic governance – the 2003/2005 Stability and Growth Pact crisis, and the 2009-2013 economic governance crisis, this article explains why the policy change in the first case led to softer governance mechanisms, while during the second crisis, soft governance mechanisms were transformed into hard law. In applying the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) to study these policy changes, we argue that the wider the window of opportunity and the more coherent the coalition of policy entrepreneurs, the higher the possibility for these actors to push in favour of legally constraining norms. Hence it is not solely the power or capacity of one policy entrepreneur, in this case – the German government – that leads to hardening of soft law, but the coherence of the coalition the policy entrepreneur is able to build.
Do crises lead to policy change? The multiple streams framework and the European Union’s economic governance instruments
Résumé
en
The aim of this paper is to understand in which direction policies change in periods of crisis. Do they lead to the hardening of norms or the introduction of softer rules governing public policies? Based on the study of policy change in two periods of economic governance – the 2003/2005 Stability and Growth Pact crisis, and the 2009-2013 economic governance crisis, this article explains why the policy change in the first case led to softer governance mechanisms, while during the second crisis, soft governance mechanisms were transformed into hard law. In applying the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) to study these policy changes, we argue that the wider the window of opportunity and the more coherent the coalition of policy entrepreneurs, the higher the possibility for these actors to push in favour of legally constraining norms. Hence it is not solely the power or capacity of one policy entrepreneur, in this case – the German government – that leads to hardening of soft law, but the coherence of the coalition the policy entrepreneur is able to build.
Auteur(s)
Sabine Saurugger1, 2
, Fabien Terpan1, 3, 2
1
PACTE -
Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales
( 1041685 )
- Siège : IEP - BP 48 38040 Grenoble cedex 9
- France
Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble ( 89636 )
;
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR5194 ( 441569 )
;
Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019] ( 445543 )
2
IEPG -
Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble
( 89636 )
- 1030, avenue centrale - Domaine Universitaire - 38400 Saint-Martin-d'Hères
- France
3
CESICE -
Centre d'études sur la sécurité internationale et les coopérations européennes
( 1041455 )
- Université Grenoble Alpes
Faculté de Droit
1133 rue des résidences
38400 St Martin d'Hères
- France
Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble ( 89636 )
;
Policy Sciences
(ISSN : 0032-2687, ISSN électronique : 1573-0891)
Publié par Springer Verlag
Revue non référencée dans Sherpa-Romeo
Domaine(s)
Sciences de l'Homme et Société/Science politique
Mots-clés
en
Multiple Streams Framework, Germany, France, Finland, Austria, Netherlands, Crisis, Economic crisis, Financial crisis, Two Pack, Six Pack, Public Policy, Policy Sciences, Policy Change, European Union, Hard Law, Soft Law
Sabine Saurugger, Fabien Terpan. Do crises lead to policy change? The multiple streams framework and the European Union’s economic governance instruments. Policy Sciences, 2016, 49 (1), pp.35-53 ⟨10.1007/s11077-015-9239-4⟩. ⟨halshs-01327750⟩