LIST OF PANELS

 This panel aims to lay the foundation for a more systematic understanding of policy analysis in France. This requires a thorough exploration of the distinction usually made in French academic and practitioner debates between policy studies and policy analysis. Since the 18th century policy analysis was mainly developed as practitioner’s know-how within the State, i.e., as studies for policies as opposed to studies of policy (Dobuzinskis, Howlett and Laycock 2013). Indeed, it was only during the 1970s and 1980s that policy studies emerged as an academic field of expertise within political science and administration studies. Policy analysis or “political sociology of public policy” is now mainly understood in France as an academic field and not as applied research. From this perspective, the study of policy explores the role of the State and its restructuring, processes of government and governance, and State-Society relationships and policies as both a process and an outcome by focusing on policymakers, their practices, ideas and discourses, how they engage in sustained relationships with a large variety of market and society actors, and the concrete devices they use in order to make policy objectives operational. We are looking for papers on five different themes. 1.    The history of the development of policy analysis in France and its main characteristics in a comparative perspective. 2.    Policy analysis in French government or, in other words, the study for policy and production of knowledge meant as way to improve policy-making and outcomes. We are particularly interested in papers highlighting the importance of knowledge production for policy within the State apparatus, local governments, and the Parliament. 3.    The role of “Committees, Public Inquiries, and Consultants” in the public policy process. Papers should focus on specific arenas of political participation that were created by the State in order to consult and include organized civil society organizations either on a permanent or ad hoc basis. 4.     The study for policy and knowledge production within political parties, think-tanks and interest groups. Although knowledge production for policy remains underdeveloped vis-à-vis the situation observed in other Western democracies, it has played a growing role over the past 15 years both due to internal factors as well as the State’s initiative. 5.    The place of policy analysis within the academic world. We are especially interested in papers tackling the issue of current relationships between the public policy academic community and places of knowledge production for policy within the State, in order to explain why the distinction between policy analysis and policy studies is very much intact. This panel gives the priority to the participants of a collective book, which will be published by Policy Press in the “International Library of Policy Analysis” series, edited by Iris Geva-May and Michael Howlett.

This panel aims to lay the foundation for a more systematic understanding of policy analysis in France. This requires a thorough exploration of the distinction usually made in French academic and practitioner debates between policy studies and policy analysis. Beginning in the 18th century, civil servants were the first to develop policy analysis as an autonomous field of knowledge and expertise within the State apparatus. Since this period and until the 1980s, policy analysis was mainly developed as practitioner’s know-how within the State, i.e., as studies for policies as opposed to studies of policy (Dobuzinskis, Howlett and Laycock 2013) Indeed, it was only much later on during the 1970s and 1980s that policy studies emerged as an academic field of expertise within political science and administration studies. The invention of policy studies in the French context results from the transfer of a series of concepts, ideas, and models that were originally developed in the United States. As any process of diffusion and transfer, it was not agentless and rather was shaped by successive generations of scholars from the fields of law, sociology, and political science (JG Padioleau, JC Thoenig, J. Leca, Y. Meny ...). These scholars shared a common interest in the study of the State apparatus and its policies. This historically-situated process explains why and how “policy analysis” or “the political sociology of public policy” is now understood in France – and in most public policy textbooks – as an academic field and not applied research. From this perspective, the study of policy explores the role of the State and its restructuring, processes of government and governance, and State-Society relationships and policies as both a process and an outcome by focusing on policymakers, their practices, ideas and discourses, how they engage in sustained relationships with a large variety of market and society actors, and the concrete devices they use in order to make policy objectives operational. We are looking for papers on five different themes. 1.    The history of the development of policy analysis in France and its main characteristics (especially the methodological tools mostly used by researchers in their empirical research). 2.    Policy analysis in French government or, in other words, the study for policy and production of knowledge meant as way to improve policy-making and outcomes. We are particularly interested in papers highlighting the importance of knowledge production for policy within the State apparatus, local governments, and the Parliament. 3.    The role of “Committees, Public Inquiries, and Consultants” in the public policy process. Papers should focus on specific arenas of political participation that were created by the State in order to consult and include organized civil society organizations either on a permanent or ad hoc basis. While the French political system is unquestionably characterized by the leading role played by civil servants within policy-making, the development of committees and public inquiries, together with the continued presence of consultants and councilors, also constitutes another feature of policy-making and knowledge production in policy processes in the French context. 4.     The study for policy and knowledge production within political parties, think-tanks and interest groups. Although knowledge production for policy remains underdeveloped vis-à-vis the situation observed in other Western democracies, it has played a growing role over the past 15 years both due to internal factors as well as the State’s initiative. 5.    The place of policy analysis within the academic world. We are looking for papers tackling the issue of current relationships between the public policy academic community and places of knowledge production for policy within the State in order to explain why the distinction between policy analysis and policy studies is very much intact.