Koppell’s ‘World Rule’ wins 2011 Levine Book Prize
The 2011 Levine Prize has been awarded to World Rule: Accountability, Legitimacy, and the Design of Global Governance (University of Chicago Press, 2010), by Jonathan G.S. Koppell. Koppell holds the Lattie & Elva Coor Presidential Chair at Arizona State University, and is Director of the University’s School of Public Affairs. The 2011 Levine Prize Committee was comprised of Anthony B.L. Cheung, Hong Kong Institute of Education (Chair); Kimberley Isett, Columbia University; and Kutsal Yesilkagit, University of Utrecht. The Committee says World Rule “has made a significant contribution to the understanding of the complex nature of global governance.” More details about the 2011 Levine Book Prize are available here.
Organizational reputations and the behavior of drug regulators
In the current issue of Governance (24.3, July 2011), Moshe Maor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem develops a more sophisticated method for thinking about the significance of organizational reputations. In a comparative study of drug safety regulation, Maor finds two types of regulators: those that have a reputation for expertise in pre-approval of new drugs, and those that have a reputation for providing timely warnings about dangerous drugs already on the market. “The type of reputation an organization has plays a key role in determining its behavior,” Maor says. He shows that the first type is more likely to downplay announcements about the withdrawal of dangerous drugs, while the second type emphasizes such decisions. These regulatory choices have “important implications for public health,” Maor adds: the citizens of countries with the second type of “guardian regulator” are generally more aware of decisions to withdraw drugs from the market. Read the article: Organizational Reputations and Observability of Public Warnings in 10 Pharmaceutical Markets.
The neglected role of political parties in integrating complex governmental structures
Much has been written about the role of political parties in channelling citizen demands on government. In the current issue of Governance (24.3, July 2011), Nicole Bolleyer of the University of Exeter takes a different perspective, examining the role of political parties in integrating complex governmental apparatuses. Bolleyer’s three-country study finds that parties “facilitate communication and coordination between different decisionmaking arenas,” compensating for the fragmentary tendencies of “increasingly specialized” governmental processes. But this does not necessarily imply improved coordination between policy arenas: under certain conditions, says Bolleyer, parties might use this “connectedness” to reinforce cross-jurisdictional conflict. Read the article: The Influence of Political Parties on Policy Coordination.
Peter Aucoin, noted scholar and Governance board member, has passed away
Professor Peter Aucoin, a highly regarded Canadian scholar of public administration, passed away on July 7 at the age of 67. Peter was a long-time member of the Governance editorial board and contributor to the journal, beginning in its first volume in 1988. Maclean’s Magazine has posted a brief note. Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter has also offered his condolences. “Nova Scotia, and Canada, has lost one of its most respected all-round political scientists of this generation,” said Premier Dexter.
Nicole de Montricher receives 2010 Ulrich Kloeti Award
Nicole de Montricher, winner of the 2010 Ulrich Kloeti Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Study of Public Policy, Administration and Institutions was presented with the award plaque at a dinner in Paris. The award recognizes scholars who have made exceptional contributions to research in the field through a sustained career. Nominees must have involved themselves significantly within SOG, both with respect to research and leadership. SOG is the Structure and Organization Research Committee of IPSA. The dinner was held at Les fils de la ferme in Paris on 26 May 2011. Photo: Philippe Bezes, Nicole de Montricher, Joel Aberbach, and Harvey Feigenbaum.
Governance is #4 in public administration, #12 in political science by impact
Governance is now ranked #4 for impact among scholarly journals in public administration, according to ISI’s Journal Citation Report for 2010, released on June 29. Among journals in political science, Governance is ranked #12. Since 2008, Governance is the only journal in the world that is ranked within the top twenty in both public administration and political science.
SOG invites paper proposals for 2012 IPSA World Congress
The submission period for panel proposals for the upcoming IPSA World Congress in Madrid July 8-12 2012 has opened this month. For the regular IPSA programme, each RC may propose an unlimited number of panels which are endorsed by its Board. Research Committee 27, on the Structure and Organization of Government — otherwise known as SOG, the academic sponsor of Governance — encourages the submission of panel proposals on topics related to the mission of the committee. Panel proposals may also be co-sponsored with other IPSA Research Committees. Download this file for more details. The deadline for proposals is 31 July 2011.
Book reviews: Latin American utility regulation; influencing health outcomes in the global South
In the current issue of Governance (24.2, April 2011) Mauricio Dussauge Laguna reviews Political Competition, Partisanship and Policymaking in Latin American Public Utilities by Maria Victoria Murillo. Murillo “offers a comprehensive analysis of how the region’s electricity and telecommunications regimes have been transformed . . . [and] shows that political parties still matter” in shaping regulatory policies. Read the review. And Joseph Wong reviews Wealth, Health and Democracy in East Asia and Latin America by James W. McGuire. McGuire challenges the idea that economic development is the key determinant of health outcomes in the global South, pointing out the effectiveness of relatively inexpensive interventions “even in the context of difficult economic circumstances.” Wong says McGuire’s analysis is “powerful and provocative.” Read the review.
The international debate about childhood education and care: Choice of frame matters
Early childhood education and care issues have increasingly become the focus of attention for a number of international organizations. In the current issue of Governance (24.2, April 2011), Linda White of the University of Toronto examines the different frames which these organizations use to understand these policies: sometimes in terms of rights; sometimes as parental employment policies; and sometimes as exercises in “social pedagogy.” White finds that the choice of frame has important implications for attention to questions of gender justice and child well-being. Read the article: The Internationalization of Early Childhood Education and Care Issues.
Open access to Grindle on reform strategies: “Recipes are out”
Written by governancejournal
July 1, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Posted in commentary