LIST OF PANELS

This panel seeks to discuss – from a theoretical and empirical points of view – the phenomenon of democratic experimentalism (Bohman 2012, Ansell 2011 and 2012, Sabel and Zeitlin, 2012, Frega 2016) in Latin American countries, from a critical perspective in public policy research. In Latin American countries, there is a research tradition in public policy analyses that encompasses several experiences in terms of public governance based on "bottom-up" processes and on democratic participation, focusing on the influence of various actors on the design and implementation of public policies.

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 (Midlej e Silva 2019). However, we have recently seen the resurgence of governments that are utilizing antidemocratic practices and that are refractory to participation. This situation of democratic deficit became more critical in face of Covid-19 pandemic, which requires a more robustness in terms of governance (Ansell, Sorensen and Torfing 2020). Thereby, emerges the need and urgency to discuss and reconsider the processes of democratic experimentalism in Latin America and its relationship with governance of public policies.

This panel thus aims to broaden the understanding of the scope and limits of new democratic experimentations to advance and create new agendas in the debate about governance and public policies. In particular, we are interested in exploring new theoretical-analytical perspectives inaugurated by the "argumentative turn" (Fischer and Forester 1992) that rely on post-positivist approaches and develop argumentative, critical, constructivist or pragmatist analyzes of public policies and public governance. 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 studies in Latin America and allowing to look at public policies as a result of “public actions” (Lascoumes and Le Galès, 2007, Cefai, 2017). In this perspective of shared governance (Osborne, 2006) we are interested in discussing more deeply the determinants and effects of the processes of "democratic experimentalism" on public policies and public governance in Latin American countries, in a post-pandemic scenario. It is a question of exploring the scope and limits of public action networks or epistemic communities that mobilize and act around public issues in public arenas in order to reinforce the dynamics of public inquiry and collaborative learning (Ansell, 2011, Frega, 2019), as well as social innovation experimentations to face the turbulent problems (Ansell, Sorensen and Torfing, 2020) imposed by COVID-19 and to reinforce democracy and sustainability (Andion, Alperstedt and Graeff 2020) in Latin America.

References:

Andion, C; Alperstedt, G. D.; Graeff, J.F. (2020) Social innovation ecosystems, sustainability, and democratic experimentation: a study in Florianopolis, Brazil. Journal of Public Administration. 54 (1), p. 181-200. 

Ansell, C. (2011). Pragmatist Democracy: Evolutionary Learning as Public Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford Scholarship.

Ansell, C. (2012) What is democratic experiment? Contemporary Pragmatism, v. 9, n. 2, p. 159-180, 2012.

Ansell, C, Sorensen, E. & Torfing, J. (2020) The COVID-19 pandemic as a game changer for public administration and leadership? The need for robust governance response to turbulent problems. Public Management Review. Ahead of Print, 1-12.

Bohman, J. (2012) Democratic Experimentalism: From Self Legislation to Self-Determination. Contemporary Pragmatism. 9 (2), December, p.273–285. 

Cefaï, D. Públicos, problemas públicos, arenas públicas. Novos Estudos CEBRAP, v. 36, n. 1, p. 187-213, 2017.

Frega, R. (2019). Pragmatism and the wide view of democracy. Gewerbestrasse: Palgrave Macmillan.

Lascoumes, P.; Le Galès, P. Sociologia da ação pública. Maceió: Edufal, 2007.     

Midlej e Silva, S. (2019) Participation in Public Policy: Brazil. In: Farazmand A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham.

Osborne, S. (2006). The New Public Governance? Public Management Review 8. p. 377-387.

Sabel, C., & Zeitlin, J. (2012). Experimentalist Governance. In D. Levi-Faur (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Governance. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Considering the re-composition of democratic regimes and the Covid-19 pandemic crises that cross several Latin American countries, the research question of this panel is: What are the challenges and perspectives of the processes of democratic experimentalism in strengthening public policies, collaborative governance and sustainability in Latin American countries? We welcome theoretical and empirical papers related to the following topics:

Democratic experimentalism and changes in political systems and practices: democratic innovations in politics and/or in political systems and their effects in different public policies fields in Latin America. We encourage papers submissions on the uses and impact of new technologies and their effects (positive and/or negative) on democratic experimentalism in politics, public policies and governance regimes.

Democratic experimentalism and social innovation to sustainability: focuses on the effects of democratic experimentalism to promote social innovation and more sustainable styles of development. We encourage papers that explore the consequences of collaborative governance to increase justice, quality, efficiency, effectiveness and effectiveness of public policies, as well as those aimed to understand factors that may facilitate or hinder democratic experimentalism in order to promote sustainability and face the new public challenges in a scenario post-Covid-19.

Democratic experimentalism and governance of public policies: encompasses studies that aim to better understand the governance arrangements between different actors and sectors to manage public policy. We encourage paper submissions on different modes of participation and their impact in governance regimes and public problems resolution 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 experimentalism and co-construction of knowledge in public policies: prioritizes analyses about collective learning and co-construction of knowledge in public policies, involving democratic experimentation. We encourage papers submissions on public research 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 also the importance of the involvement of people affected themselves in the construction of the public problems, the agenda setting and in the design and formulation of public policies.