Fracking in the UK and Switzerland: why differences in policymaking systems don’t always produce different outputs and outcomes

Citation

Cairney P, Fischer M & Ingold K (2018) Fracking in the UK and Switzerland: why differences in policymaking systems don’t always produce different outputs and outcomes. Policy and Politics, 46 (1), pp. 125-147. https://doi.org/10.1332/030557316X14793989976783

Abstract
We address a key puzzle in policy studies: why don't major differences in political systems and policy produce major differences in policy processes, outputs, and outcomes? We show why key aspects of fracking policy are similar in the UK and Switzerland despite the UK majoritarian government being ‘all out for shale' and Switzerland's consensus democracy favouring moratoriums. We use the ‘advocacy coalition framework' and new survey data to show why differences in UK and Swiss processes are subtle. In both cases, actors cooperate and compete with each other by sharing information within and across coalitions

Keywords
policy; policymaking; fracking; UK; Switzerland

Journal
Policy and Politics: Volume 46, Issue 1

People

Professor Paul Cairney

Professor, Politics