On Policy Leadership and Policy Design

Abstract

Leadership (conceived as the most important form of agency) is a fundamental driver of all the aspects of policy dynamics. However one of the less investigated dimensions is exactly the relationship between leadership and policy design. Policy design is a complex process which can be conceived as a rationalistic attempt to develop efficient and effective policies through the application of knowledge although it is continuously affected by cognitive bias and symbolic disputes. So the way towards optimal policy is an obstacle course. This is because policy design needs to be steered and so the role of leaders (in broader sense) can make the difference for the final result. Thus papers of this panel should address the under-investigated role of leadership in policy design both from the theoretical and empirical point of views. Empirical papers should have a comparative perspective should focus while theoretical papers should deal with the issue by clearly focusing on who policy leaders are, which role they can play, which resources they have, in which stage of the policy design process they can make the difference.

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