Policy Networks

Policy making entails working with networked individuals, groups, and public and private organizations that are clever about swaying public policy. The research on the topic of policy networks reveals that these clusters, or members forming a group to influence policy, have a stake in policy outcomes. In fact, the act of policy networking involves collaborating with a group of people who represent a part of the political, social, and ­economic milieu and who have an interest in the success of a particular policy. When effectively coordinated, policy networks can empower a special group and help convey ideas about matters most important to citizens. For example, a particular interest group taking collective action and disseminating information about the economy and unemployment, or taxation, is likely to ...