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The capacity to co-ordinate – Whitehall, governance and the challenge of climate change

The capacity to co-ordinate – Whitehall, governance and the challenge of climate change The issue of government capacity is at the heart of the governance narrative, and the emergence of an increasingly fragmented policy arena has been seen to result in a process of ‘hollowing-out’. Yet, despite nearly two decades of scholarship, the disjuncture between the increasing intricacy of the policy landscape and effectiveness of governments’ institutional responses suggests that the focus upon complexity and fragmentation within governance discourse risks neglecting the institutional continuity that continues to characterise the structures of government. This article addresses this lacuna by eschewing a focus upon exogenous factors to instead highlight the relationship between intra-government capacity and the resultant capacity of governments to steer the broader policy terrain through a case study of the Labour government's response to climate change. Climate change cuts across traditional bureaucratic lines and challenges established ways of working, and embodies many of the challenges associated with the governance narrative. However, this article presents a range of evidence to suggest that the government's intra-government approach to climate change has been incoherent, with tools being mapped onto existing governing structures with seemingly little consideration for institutional fit, which reflects the prevailing influence of traditional governing norms. This article therefore argues that an ‘intra-governance cycle’ has emerged, as the unwillingness of the government to fundamentally appraise the extent that its institutional structures are fit-for-purpose vis-à-vis the challenges of modern governance has rendered these challenges without adequate resolution, and with the potential for governance failure. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Public Policy and Administration SAGE

The capacity to co-ordinate – Whitehall, governance and the challenge of climate change

Public Policy and Administration , Volume 27 (2): 21 – Apr 1, 2012

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References (34)

Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2011 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
ISSN
0952-0767
eISSN
1749-4192
DOI
10.1177/0952076711407104
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The issue of government capacity is at the heart of the governance narrative, and the emergence of an increasingly fragmented policy arena has been seen to result in a process of ‘hollowing-out’. Yet, despite nearly two decades of scholarship, the disjuncture between the increasing intricacy of the policy landscape and effectiveness of governments’ institutional responses suggests that the focus upon complexity and fragmentation within governance discourse risks neglecting the institutional continuity that continues to characterise the structures of government. This article addresses this lacuna by eschewing a focus upon exogenous factors to instead highlight the relationship between intra-government capacity and the resultant capacity of governments to steer the broader policy terrain through a case study of the Labour government's response to climate change. Climate change cuts across traditional bureaucratic lines and challenges established ways of working, and embodies many of the challenges associated with the governance narrative. However, this article presents a range of evidence to suggest that the government's intra-government approach to climate change has been incoherent, with tools being mapped onto existing governing structures with seemingly little consideration for institutional fit, which reflects the prevailing influence of traditional governing norms. This article therefore argues that an ‘intra-governance cycle’ has emerged, as the unwillingness of the government to fundamentally appraise the extent that its institutional structures are fit-for-purpose vis-à-vis the challenges of modern governance has rendered these challenges without adequate resolution, and with the potential for governance failure.

Journal

Public Policy and AdministrationSAGE

Published: Apr 1, 2012

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