Redesigning Rules for Participation in Local Governance
Corporatist arrangements in local governance are formal structures designed to incorporate interest groups in decision-making. Local corporatism is often dysfunctional. This may be a result of malign intent. However, where there are good faith actors, what are some conditions under which corporatist...
Gorde:
| Argitaratua izan da: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/irpp, |
|---|---|
| Egile Nagusiak: | , |
| Formatua: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Hizkuntza: | Anglais |
| Argitaratua: |
International Review of Public Policy
2026
|
| Gaiak: | |
| Sarrera elektronikoa: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| id |
openedition-oai:revues.org:irpp_6321 |
|---|---|
| record_format |
openedition |
| spelling |
openedition-oai:revues.org:irpp_6321 https://doi.org/10.4000/16d1k urn:doi:10.4000/16d1k en https://journals.openedition.org/irpp/6321 2026-06-08T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/16d1k https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Redesigning Rules for Participation in Local Governance International Review of Public Policy International Public Policy Association info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2706-6274 info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2679-3873 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/irpp Richardson, Liz Gains, Francesca interest groups citizen participation local governance corporatism institutionalism Corporatist arrangements in local governance are formal structures designed to incorporate interest groups in decision-making. Local corporatism is often dysfunctional. This may be a result of malign intent. However, where there are good faith actors, what are some conditions under which corporatist structures have been redesigned? Our paper tests theoretical expectations from institutionalist theory. Theory suggests that the dynamics of change are shaped by disruptions in the institutional context, which can create conditions that lead to the formation of new rules. Using a detailed case study, we examine rule redesign in local corporatism within a new tier of sub-national government in the UK. Macro-level disruption alone did not automatically generate participatory redesign. Instead, redesign was mobilised through the agency of multiple actors creating and amending rule specifications. We highlight that institutional change may take the form of a series of iterative mini-disruptions created by actor agency. Our research suggests that there is a need to refine expectations about critical junctures to incorporate a more nuanced model of layered, incremental institutional redesign. We conclude that a focus on local variation may offer a cautiously optimistic account of reform in a context often seen as resistant to innovation. |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
interest groups citizen participation local governance corporatism institutionalism |
| spellingShingle |
interest groups citizen participation local governance corporatism institutionalism Richardson, Liz Gains, Francesca Redesigning Rules for Participation in Local Governance |
| description |
Corporatist arrangements in local governance are formal structures designed to incorporate interest groups in decision-making. Local corporatism is often dysfunctional. This may be a result of malign intent. However, where there are good faith actors, what are some conditions under which corporatist structures have been redesigned? Our paper tests theoretical expectations from institutionalist theory. Theory suggests that the dynamics of change are shaped by disruptions in the institutional context, which can create conditions that lead to the formation of new rules. Using a detailed case study, we examine rule redesign in local corporatism within a new tier of sub-national government in the UK. Macro-level disruption alone did not automatically generate participatory redesign. Instead, redesign was mobilised through the agency of multiple actors creating and amending rule specifications. We highlight that institutional change may take the form of a series of iterative mini-disruptions created by actor agency. Our research suggests that there is a need to refine expectations about critical junctures to incorporate a more nuanced model of layered, incremental institutional redesign. We conclude that a focus on local variation may offer a cautiously optimistic account of reform in a context often seen as resistant to innovation. |
| author |
Richardson, Liz Gains, Francesca |
| author_facet |
Richardson, Liz Gains, Francesca |
| author_sort |
Richardson, Liz |
| title |
Redesigning Rules for Participation in Local Governance |
| title_short |
Redesigning Rules for Participation in Local Governance |
| title_full |
Redesigning Rules for Participation in Local Governance |
| title_fullStr |
Redesigning Rules for Participation in Local Governance |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Redesigning Rules for Participation in Local Governance |
| title_sort |
redesigning rules for participation in local governance |
| publisher |
International Review of Public Policy |
| publishDate |
2026 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/irpp |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/16d1k https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/irpp/6321 |
| _version_ |
1877291679354978304 |