ALREG - Analysis of Learning in Regulatory Governance (2009-2013)

Recent innovations in regulatory policy and lawmaking have been introduced by practically all EU governments with the aim of making institutions learn from evidence, consultation, economic analysis and other rational policymaking tools. Simplification, impact assessment, procedures for the elimination of administrative burdens, and 'smart regulation' techinques are indeed used by both the member states and the European Commission. Research up until now has focused on either the content of these innovation or on their different usages, including perfunctory and advocacy usages. The classic research question in the field is 'have policy officers learned how to use the smart tools?'

This interdisciplinary, mixed-methods project, instead, looks at what has been learned because of these innovations. Grounded in theories of policy learning, the project will cover the EU as well as a sample of EU countries.Methodologically, the project, carried out by Claudio Radaelli, Claire Dunlop and Oliver Fritsch, draws on comparative analysis of types of learning, experiments with regulatory policy-makers, large-n analysis of impact assessments, backward-mapping of legislation, meta-analysis of the case-studies available in the academic and grey literature. Dissemination will target both stakeholders and academic conferences in political science, law, and decision analysis, with a major research monograph to be completed in year 4 and a final interdisciplinary conference.

ALREG - Analysis of Learning in Regulatory Governance (2009-2013)

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