Assessing the Impact of Cabinet Decision Making on PublicPolicy8th July 2016, University ofKent

EventReport

This interdisciplinary workshop brought together scholars across institutionsanddisciplines to discuss how ministerial decision making influencesgovernmentpolicymaking.Theeventwasco-fundedbytheESRC,EasternAcademicResearchConsortiumandtheSchoolofPoliticsandInternationalRelations.

SandpitSummary

As part of the workshop, we discussed the potential for future collaboration arisingfromtheevent.Thecoreaimsofsuchcollaborationwouldbe:

1.Working together on joint researchprojects;

2.Developing the research infrastructure to further advance study of this area;and

3.Sharedopportunitiesformorepolicy-orientedapproachestothisresearchagenda.

Joint ResearchProjects

In groups, we discussed the potential for collaboration on future researchprojectsbetweenparticipants.

The following research themes wereidentified:

  • Intra-government disagreement andnegotiations;
  • Intra-party policydivergence;
  • Thepersonalisationofcabinets(theroleofindividualsandindividualcharacteristics in determining policy outcomes);and
  • Governmenteffectiveness.

Moreinterdisciplinarythemescanbedrawnfromconsideringtheroleofdecision-makingincabinet’sdevelopmentofpolicy.Researchersinthefieldsofpsychology,managementandeconomicsmaybeparticularlyinterestedinthisanalysis.

Oneidearaisedwasacollaborativespecialissue(supportedwithfundingfromtheEasternARC)onthethemeofcabinetprocessesandpublicpolicydevelopment,perhapsin Party Politics or Government andOpposition.

ResearchInfrastructure

1)Twitter Handle

Thedevelopmentofanetworkforcommunicatingnewandemergingresearchonthese themes. The handle is @govdecisions, and will be used to communicatethefollowing:

  • News and/or commentarypieces;
  • Publication of academicwork;
  • Access todatasets;
  • Events;and
  • Any queries/questions ordiscussions.

2)Methods Training andDevelopment

Usingourexistingnetworkstodevelopopportunitiesforresearchmethodstrainingonthesethemes.Suchaneventcouldincludetextanalysismethodsormethodsformappingdecisionmakingandpolicypreferencesoroutcomes.

3)A Larger Conference in2017

Broadeningthethemesofthisresearch,wewilllookintofundingtohostalargerevent,drawingtogetheracademics,membersofcivilsocietyandpolicymakerstodiscussthisresearch agenda in a more accessibleway.

Policy-Oriented Events orActivities

Further to the larger conference, we also discussed how those outside of academiamayalsobeinterestedinresearchonthesethemes.Therefore,wecouldusethisplatformasanopportunitytocommunicatewithnon-academicstakeholdersinthisarea.

This communication could involve shared events, submissions to reviews or requestsforevidence,ormoreinformalconsultationswiththinktanks,policymakersandpractitioners.

Participantsworkingtogetherinpairsdiscussingideasforcollaboration:

Assessing the Impact of Cabinet Decision Making on PublicPolicy

8th July 2016, G23 Research and Development Centre, University ofKentProgramme

09:00 / 09:15 / Welcome
09:15 / 10:00 / KeynoteTalk
DespinaAlexiadou-UniversityofPittsburgh / Who governs? Professional Politicians,WallStreet or thePeople?
10:00 / 10:15 / Refreshments
10:15 / 11:30 / Panel 1: Cabinet Processes and Economic and FiscalPolicy
Chair: Ed Morgan-Jones, University ofKent
SlavaMikhaylov- UniversityCollegeLondon / Intra-Cabinet Politics and Fiscal GovernanceinTimes of Austerity (with AlexanderHerzog)
FarzadVaziri-
University ofEssex / New Parties, Re-elected Governments,Coalitions and BudgetDeficit
LucyBarnes- UniversityCollegeLondon / Finance Ministers in the Political EconomyofProgressiveTaxation
11:30 / 11:45 / Refreshments
11:45 / 13:05 / Panel 2: Policy and CabinetProcesses
Chair: Dee Goddard, University ofKent
ZacGreene-UniversityofStrathclyde / How intra-party disagreement determinesissuediversity in electionmanifestos
MarkWinter-
RoyalHolloway / How does uncertainty about future voteseffectdecisionmaking?
EdMorgan-Jones-
University ofKent / Presidents, Assembly Dissolution and theElectoralPerformance of PrimeMinisters
13:05 / 14:00 / Lunch Break (Room108)
14:00 / 15:30 / Panel 3: Exploring PolicyAreas
Chair: Lucy Barnes, University CollegeLondon
Theofanis Exadaktylos- University ofSurrey / Decision-making in times of austerity: Doesaskingthe people matter for policyimplementation?
JaneChristie-
University ofKent / Supporting Executive Decision-Making inUKGovernment: Use ofMulti-Methodology
DeeGoddard-
University ofKent / Women ministers making health policy: doesgendermatter?
15:30 / 15:45 / Refreshments
15:45 / 17:30 / SandpitDiscussion