A 'new institutional' perspective on policy networks

Policy networks is a powerful analytical concept. However, it must be combined with a model of the actor if the analyst is to move beyond description and into the more interesting field of policy explanation. This article argues that this may be done by the use of 'new institutionalism'. It first demonstrates that policy networks may be understood as institutions, i.e. as rules constraining the actions of the participating actors. It then outlines the contribution which institutional theory may make to policy network analysis. This is done by giving an institutional answer to three questions which the policy network literature has not successfully addressed. Why do networks come into existence? Why do networks change? Why are networks so persistent? The institutional logic is illustrated in a case study of a Danish intergovernmental policy network: the annual budget negotiations between the state and local authorities. The main lesson to draw from this exercise is that when the insights from policy network analysis are combined with the theoretical insights from 'new institutionalism', it is indeed possible to start providing explanations of policy networks and their impact on policy outcomes.