LIST OF PANELS

This panel seeks to discuss – from a theoretical and empirical point of view – the phenomenon of democratic experimentation (Bohman, 2004, Knight & Johnson, 2007, Ansell, 2012) in Latin American countries, from a critical perspective of public policy research. In Latin American region there is a visible tradition in studies and practices on public policies from new perspectives and experimentations. These tradition puts light in "bottom-up" policy design processes, democratic participation and the influence of various actors in the design and implementation of public policy (Avritzer, 2012; Almeida, Cayres e Tatagiba, 2015; Borba e Lucchman, 2017; Moraes e Andion, 2018).

After the re-democratization wave in Latin America countries, many of the constitutional and regulatory frameworks encourage the promotion of the design, formulation and implementation of public policies with civil society agents, thereby strengthening systems of deliberative democracy. However, we have recently seen the potential return of more authoritarian regimes of government, with antidemocratic discourses and refractory to participation. In this new scenario, there is the need and urgency to  discuss and reconsider the processes of democratic experimentation in Latin America and its relationship with public policies.

This panel thus aims to broaden the understanding of the scope and limits of new democratic experiments to advance and create new agendas in the debate of public policies in Latin America. In particular, we are interested in exploring new theoretical-analytical perspectives inaugurated by the "argumentative turn" (Fischer, 2012) that rely on post-positivist approaches and develop argumentative, critical, constructivist, or pragmatist analyzes of public policies (Shields, 2008; Fischer, 2012; Secchi, 2016). This involves better understanding the relationship between public policy and the political system and examining not only the effects of public policies and programs, but also their presuppositions and processes, from a bottom-up logic.

The objective of this panel is also to stimulate new approaches aimed at overcoming the dichotomy between “policy analysis” and “policy studies”, thereby widening the debate in the field of public policy research in Latin America and allowing to look at public policies as  “public actions”, that involves several actors beyond government (Lascoumes & Le Galès, 2012; Cefaï, 2017). In this perspective of shared governance (Osborne, 2003) we are interested in discussing more deeply the determinants and effects of the processes of "democratic experimentation" on public policies in Latin American countries, given the present sociohistorical context. It is a question of exploring the scope and limits of public action networks or epistemic communities that are formed around public issues in public arenas in order to reinforce the dynamics of democratic experimentation, public inquiry and participatory governance (Dewey, 1927; Smiley, 1999; Fung & Wright, 2003; Fung, 2006; Cefai, 2017).

Considering the recomposition of democratic regimes that cross several Latin American countries, the research question of this panel is: What are the challenges and perspectives of the processes of democratic experimentation in the strengthening of public policies in Latin American countries?  The panel chairs expects theoretical and empirical papers that explore the dynamics of democratic experimentation in Latin America countries and their relationship with public policies at different levels and branches of government, related to the following topics:

Democratic experimentation and political systems: This thematic involves studies that deal with new democratic experiments in politics and/or in political systems and their effects in the field of public policies in Latin America. We encourage papers submissions on the uses and impact of new technologies and their effects (positive and/or negative) on democratic experimentation and public policy

Democratic experimentation and social innovation in public policies: This thematic includes studies that theoretically or empirically approach experiments of democratic experimentation with public policies and their effects in terms of social innovation in Latin America. We encourage papers that focuses on the consequences of democratic experimentation processes to increase the quality, results, efficiency, and effectiveness of public policies and services at different levels and branches of public administration, as well as those aimed at understanding factors that may be facilitators or inhibitors of democratic experimentation whether in the public administration or in the sphere of organized civil society.

Democratic experimentation and governance of public policies: This thematic encompasses studies that aim to better understand the governance arrangements and negotiated articulations between different actors (public and private) that manage public policy. We encourage paper submissions on different modes of participation and governance and their impact on the management of public policies, as well as studies that focus on understanding the dilemmas of participation and democratic governance in the context of contemporary democracies in Latin America.

Democratic experimentation and co-construction of knowledge in public policies: This thematic focuses on studies interested in analyzing the processes of collective learning and co-construction of knowledge in public policies, involving democratic experimentation. We encourage papers submissions on public inquiry processes, formation of learning communities, living labs and collaborative networks and their impact on public policies. It is interesting to focus not only on the role of specialists, but on the people affected themselves in the co-construction of the public problem, the agenda setting and in the design and formulation of public policies.