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Exploring Punctuated Equilibrium in the English Planning System 1947-2011?

Exploring Punctuated Equilibrium in the English Planning System 1947-2011?. PSA Conference 2013, Cardiff Session: Reforming Public Policy in Britain and Beyond 27 March Janice Morphet j.morphet@ucl.ac.uk. overview.

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Exploring Punctuated Equilibrium in the English Planning System 1947-2011?

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  1. Exploring Punctuated Equilibrium in the English Planning System 1947-2011? PSA Conference 2013, Cardiff Session: Reforming Public Policy in Britain and Beyond 27 March Janice Morphet j.morphet@ucl.ac.uk

  2. overview • Using policy agenda setting (Kingdon, 2003) and theory of punctuated equilibrium to interrogate key moments of change in the planning system in UK/England • To identify whether policy punctuation theory offers any insights into key moments of change – including 2004 and 2011

  3. 1. The role of punctuated equilibrium in agenda setting Punctuated equilibrium has basis in • Darwinian evolution • Developed by Eldredge and Gould (1972) • Applied to public policy by Baumgartner and Jones from 1992 onwards PE is characterised by periods of • Stability and incremental change • Shocks or changes to the system

  4. Understanding persistence • Assumption that polices are owned by policy communities that manage boundaries and internal rules • Change is primarily incremental

  5. Understanding shocks – Baumgartner and Jones (2005) • External pressures or shocks • Ideological change • Policy challenge from competing interests • Public concerns • Policy malaise and need to catch up

  6. Developing the repertoire of factors… 6. Temporal change (Bulmer, 2012) 7. Programmed change (Goetz and Meyer-Sahling, 2012) – is using the expected theory as a technology of change

  7. Application of PE in the UK – the work of John • Applied to the derivation of policy agendas through the Queens speech – examined up to 2008 • John and Bevan (2012) found that the key times of legislative energy since 1945 have been • 1945-9 • 1968-1970 • 1990-1992 • 2004-6 • i.e. not immediately after General Elections apart from 1945

  8. 2. Planning’s key moments • 1945-49 – New Towns 1946 and National parks 1949 defining national; 1947 defining local • 1968-1970 Civic Amenities Act; TCP Act • 1990-1992 Environmental Protection Act; 1990 TCP Act • 2004 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act

  9. 3. Planning Pivots as Policy Punctuations • Each changed the development plan • 1947 and 1990 deterministic and plan led • 1968 and 2004 formative – plan a consideration (2004 – NPS and security now take precedence) 1947, 1968 and 2004 Labour Gov; 1990 Conservative Gov and 2011 Coalition Gov

  10. Applying Baumgartner and Jones’ factor of agenda change • Ideological: 1990? But moved to plan led system • Challenge poss more in US model than UK • Public concern: flooding and nat disasters? • Policy malaise: no evidence (O’Donnell, 2012)

  11. Factors for further consideration • External: EU environmental legislation; current: housing agenda from OECD and EU • Timing – linked with LG reform -1972; 1990ff; 2000-2011 • Programmed: EU activity? • 1972 membership • 1986 Single European Act (Environment) • 1992 Maastricht – subsidiarity (localism) • 2009 Lisbon – territorial cohesion – the integrated programme approach

  12. 4. Conclusion: does punctuated equilibrium offer any theoretical insights? • May not be a strong theory in the UK but does encourage interrogation of assumptions about change • most planning change does not occur with new governments but local gov change more a first term issue • Can argue that 2004 is a point of punctuated equilibrium but that 2011 is not…

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