The involvement of citizens in discussions about policy arrangements has been growing in the past decades. These forums of decision-making often provoke criticism because of a so-called ‘lack of representativeness’. Often a small group of active citizens takes the lead and decides which problems have to be dealt with. Some active residents primarily focus on improving the neighbourhood, regardless of whether their activities have everyone’s consent. This raises many questions related their representativeness. Do these participants form an adequate cross-section of the population? Are they speaking on behalf of others? Maybe passive citizens feel fine with the opinions of active citizens and agree that a small group of citizens is taking the lead. In this paper these active citizens are viewed as ‘trustees’: informal representatives who take responsibility to look after the neighbourhood’s interests, expecting that passive residents would support their efforts. The paper has two central questions: First, which ideas do active participants have about representation and representativeness? Second, in what respects can active citizens be characterized as ‘trustees’? In the theoretical part we contend that the notion ‘trustee’ may function as a theoretical framework to understand present-day citizen participation. In local policy networks many informal representatives express views and interests that are recognizable for many citizens. They are trusted, as long as their activities can be checked. The second part of the paper focuses on three projects of citizen decision-making within local safety policies (The Dutch cities Amsterdam, Deventer and Rotterdam). Within these projects, participants prioritize what kinds of activities and interventions police officers and other frontline workers should carry out. A main finding is that many active citizens function as contact persons who are continuously available for other residents. They do not wish to speak ‘on behalf’ of others but they are bestowed – often reluctantly – with the role of representative, as they demonstratively express neighborhood interests (‘clean, intact and safe’). Their reputation seems to be decisive. |
Beleid en Maatschappij
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Redactioneel |
Redactioneel |
Auteurs | Ewald Engelen |
Auteursinformatie |
Artikel |
Burgers als trusteesParticipatie, informele vertegenwoordiging en representativiteit |
Auteurs | Dr. Bas van Stokkom, Dr. Marcel Becker en Teun Eikenaar MA MSc |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Artikel |
Legitimiteit van sociaal beleid: maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen en bestuurlijke dilemma’s |
Trefwoorden | responsiveness, legitimacy, social policy, policy systems, institutional change |
Auteurs | Dr. Martijn van der Steen, Dr. Menno Fenger, Lieske van der Torre MA MSc e.a. |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Social policy has to be legitimate. But what is legitimacy? And what makes policy legitimate? This article argues that in order to be legitimate policy needs to answer to three different logics: the logic of the policy system, of external conditions, and of societal preferences. However, these three logics are often not coherent and point in different directions. Also, signs are often not coherent and are ambiguous at best. Therefore, following the three logics is not merely a matter of reading the signs, but of interpreting and balancing them. This article shows how policy makers in the Netherlands are balancing for responsiveness in three cases of social policy: social assistance policy, sheltered work policy and labor migration policy. The cases learn that responsiveness does not come from large decisive reforms, but from a wide range of small and often hardly politicized steps. Also, we see that in balancing the various logics, policy makers have a strong bias towards the logic of the policy system and that of public preference, and pay far less attention to external conditions. However, on the longer term external conditions cannot be neglected and policy makers face tough decisions about short term responsiveness towards public preferences and more longer term actions that make for policies that are more balanced with external conditions and therefore sustainable on the longer term. |
Artikel |
Watergovernance: het belang van ‘op tijd’ samenwerken |
Trefwoorden | cooperation, time, water governance, management |
Auteurs | Dr. Jasper Eshuis en Dr. Arwin van Buuren |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
The factor time is an often neglected issue in the literature on network governance. In this article we analyze the differences in perceptions on time between actors involved in water governance and describe the managerial interventions aimed at synchronizing time horizons, managing the available amount of time and the tempo of the governance process. Two case studies of governance processes in the district of Water Board Delfland are included to provide insight in the question how the factor time influences the governance processes and how aspects of time are managed. The case studies show that different perceptions of time may cause tensions in collaborative relationships, and even cause the end of collaborations. This underscores the importance of time-sensitive governance. |
Discussie |
Arbeidsmigratie en overheidsbeleid opnieuw belicht |
Auteurs | Imrat Verhoeven |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Reflection and Debate initiates academically inspired discussions on issues that are on the current policy agenda. |
Discussie |
Arbeidsmigratie in betere banen: taken voor assertieve overheid |
Auteurs | Dr. Monique Kremer en Dr. Erik Schrijvers |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Reflection and Debate initiates academically inspired discussions on issues that are on the current policy agenda. |
Discussie |
De invloed van grenzen in internationale arbeidsmigratie |
Auteurs | Prof. dr. Henk van Houtum |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Reflection and Debate initiates academically inspired discussions on issues that are on the current policy agenda. |
Boekbespreking |
In het zonnetje zetten van hen die in de schaduw staan |
Auteurs | Dr. Zeger van der Wal |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
In this feature authors review recently published books on subjects of interest to readers of Beleid en Maatschappij. |
Column |
Europa op een tweesprong |
Auteurs | Henk Overbeek |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
In a column a journal editor or an author expresses his or her opinion on a particular subject |