LIST OF PANELS

Interest in policy instruments is growing. Both policy paradigms and technology not to mention ideology generate a range of tools to reach the goals of public policy. Also, redefinition of the state’s role in the direction of partnership with both the private and community sectors, alternatives have multiplied. Lascoumes, Le Galès and co-authors (2005; 2007; 2013) have proposed a political sociology approach to the analysis of instruments. As these authors remind us, no instrument is neutral in its effects, and decision-makers' selection rests on a theorising (explicit or not) about the relationship between governed and governor. This panel is aligned with this political sociological approach. Much work has been done on policy instruments but the approach’s roots in taxing, mapping, policing, and economic and spatial regulation has meant that it is less familiar to those concerned with instrument choice and consequences in the fields of social policy. The goal of the panel is to fill this gap. The social policy domain has seen numerous changes in and diffusion of instruments, such as reliance on fiscal income transfers and conditional transfers; provision of early childhood education; pension financing; care provision; and so on. Moreover, these instruments have emerged not only from the traditionally powerful states of the Global North but in some interesting cases from within the Global South. This panel is particularly concerned, therefore, to present case studies or comparative analysis of: innovations in social policy instruments and instrumentation; diffusion of social policy instruments across scale and space; variation in instruments in accordance with targeted populations, whether mainstream or marginal; shifts in the meaning of the instrument and its objectives over time. Papers are welcome that deal with social policy instruments in a range of geographical cases and of scales (local, provincial, national, supra, inter and transnational).

The analysis of policy instruments, both their selection (sometimes termed “instrumentation”) and their effects, has taken off over the last thirty years. This interest in policy instruments has grown as it became evident that both policy paradigms and technology not to mention ideology are generating a range of alternative tools to reach the classic goals of public policy, such as maintaining order, taxing, and law enforcement. Moreover, as the role of the state has been redefined in the direction of partnership with both the private and community sectors, alternatives have multiplied. Observing this take-off, Christopher Hood (2007) developed a typology of approaches to the analysis of instruments / tools, while Pierre Lascoumes and Patrick Le Galès and co-authors (2005; 2007; 2013) have proposed a political sociology approach to the analysis of instruments, one that focuses both on the choice of instrument and its effects. As these authors remind us, no instrument is neutral in its effects, and each one selected by decision-makers rests on a theorising (explicit or not) about the relationship between governed and governor. This panel is aligned with this political sociological approach; instruments of public policy will be analysed as “institutions” in a broad sociological sense, incorporating actors’ ideas and interests. Policy instruments are assumed to be not neutral but to incorporate power relations so as to assure regulation in any specific domain. Thus instruments of public policy reveal social and political conflicts as well as power relations within the state and between state and society. Basic matters of governance are at stake. Much work has been done on policy instruments but the approaches' roots in analyses focused on taxing, mapping, policing, and economic and spatial regulation have meant that they are less familiar to those concerned with instrument choice and consequences in the fields of social policy. The goal of the panel is to fill this gap, one revealed, for example, by pursuing the bibliography of Hood’s (2007) state of the art article and the table of contents of Lascoumes and Le Galès (2005; 2007) (where pension policy is the only social policy addressed). The social policy domain has seen numerous changes in and diffusion of instruments, such as reliance on fiscal income transfers or conditional transfers; institutions of early education; pension financing; care provision; and so on. Moreover, these instruments have emerged not only from the traditionally powerful states of the Global North but in some interesting cases from within the Global South. This panel is particularly concerned, therefore, to present case studies or comparative analysis of: innovations in social policy instruments and instrumentation; diffusion of social policy instruments across scale and space; variation in instruments in accordance with targeted populations, whether mainstream or marginal; shifts in the meaning of the instrument and its objectives over time. Papers are welcome that deal with social policy instruments in a range of geographical cases and of scales (local, provincial, national, supra, inter and transnational).