Policy research under pressure
The case of the Ministry of Justice in the Netherlands
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6289819 |
|---|---|
| Authors | G De Graaf (0000-0002-7819-8972, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, corresponding author), Marc Hertogh (0000-0002-6933-3546, University of Groningen) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 468-489 |
| Publication date | 2022-03-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of European Public Policy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1350-1763 • E-ISSN: 1466-4429 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13501763.2020.1839535 |
| OpenAlex | W3098260180 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 28 |
In policy research, the search for the correct balance between proximity and independence has never been easy. Policymakers need proximity to the research in order to ensure that it is relevant. Yet, there are also concerns about the rigour of research. To analyze this relationship in more detail, this paper focuses on the ‘extreme case’ of the WODC in the Netherlands, an internal but formally independent research unit of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security. Research methods include semi-structured interviews and a survey (N = 673). We conclude that government leans on WODC researchers in all phases of the policy research process. In most cases, WODC researchers successfully resist pressure from policymakers, yet continuing pressure may easily lead to research methods, conclusions and press releases being altered for policy reasons. Finally, there are general lessons drawn from the WODC case that will assist in achieving a good balance between proximity and independence in policy research
Balance (ability · Christian ministry · Economic Justice · Economics · Government (linguistics · Independence (probability theory · Order (exchange · Political science · Public relations · Rigour · Sociology · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Law · Policy Transfer and Learning · Psychology · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research
Democratic Governance
Time an Transition in Work Teams
Building Theories from Case Study Research
Reframing Public Policy
The Discovery of Grounded Theory
Authoritative Governance
Theory in evaluation
Governing policy evaluation? Towards a new typology
You Want Me to Do What? Evaluators and the Pressure to Misrepresent Findings
Are Some Countries More Prone to Pressure Evaluators Than Others? Comparing Findings From the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Switzerland
Effective Practitioner–Scholar Relationships
Social Media and Value Conflicts
Portraying the Nature of Corruption Using an Explorative Case Study Design
Evaluation Under Contract
Scientific Advice at a Time of Emergency. Sage and Covid‐19
Lesson‐Drawing from New Zealand and Covid‐19
Multisite Qualitative Policy Research
Media Democracy
The political functions of expert knowledge
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,33 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2023 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |