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Policy forums: Why do they exist and what are they used for?

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  • Manuel Fischer
  • Philip Leifeld

Abstract

Policy forums are issue-based intermediary organizations where diverse types of political and societal actors repeatedly interact. Policy forums are important elements of modern governance systems as they allow actors to learn, negotiate, or build trust. They can vary in composition, size, membership logic, and other distinct features. This article lays the foundation of a theory of policy forums based on three interrelated elements: First, it discusses conditions for the formation of a forum and describes the logic of these organizations as one of an asymmetric multipartite exchange. Second, it enumerates the potential set of goals and motivations of participating actors that are fed into this exchange. Third, it proposes eight different dimensions on which policy forums differ and which affect the exchange mechanisms among actors. We claim that empirical work on policy forums should systematically take these elements into account and propose elements of a research agenda. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Manuel Fischer & Philip Leifeld, 2015. "Policy forums: Why do they exist and what are they used for?," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 48(3), pages 363-382, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:policy:v:48:y:2015:i:3:p:363-382
    DOI: 10.1007/s11077-015-9224-y
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    6. Hiromi Nakazato & Rui Izumi & Seunghoo Lim, 2022. "Joining Policy Forums Together to Develop Ki-no-Eki , a Community Currency System for Forest Management in Japan: Dynamics of Policy Communication Networks," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-14, October.
    7. Stéphane Moyson & Bastien Fievet & Maximilien Plancq & Sébastien Chailleux & David Aubin, 2022. "Make it loud and simple: Coalition politics and problem framing in the French policy process of hydraulic fracturing," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 39(4), pages 411-440, July.
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