Edward Elgar Publishing Public Policy and Political Institutions: The Role of Culture in Traffic Policy (New Horizons in Public Policy series)

Public Policies and Political Institutions explores the major questions posed by the advent of the new institutionalism in political science and public administration. It demonstrates how policy communities are influenced in thought and action by the values, rules, traditions and routines embedded in political systems. Frank Hendriks compares traffic policy making in two major European cities - Munich in Germany and Birmingham in England. Using cultural and new institutional theory he is able to conclude that political institutions contribute to the mobilization of cultural bias in policy making. He shows that political institutions influence the interaction between different cultural perspectives on policy issues, which in turn influences the course that policy processes take. Ultimately, the author makes a plea for pluralistic and perspectivistic democracy. This book will be welcomed by academics interested in public policy, public administration, political theory, environmental studies and urban planning, as well as local government policymakers and practitioners. Review 'This is an impressive comparison of town planning procedures in two major cities. It explains why the citizens of Munich have been able to keep a beautiful and practical public space while the English experience in Birmingham is full of regrets. Frank Hendriks shows how the success of the one and the failure of the other depend on the balance between the various interested parties, the institutions for negotiating their interests, and the time allowed for deliberation. The book is the first to use cultural theory to analyse the negotiation of traffic problems. Written with admirable clarity, it is likely to be a classic in the field of public policy as modern cities flourish or come to grief according to how they deal with cars.' -- Mary Douglas, University College London, UK About the Author Frank Hendriks, Associate Profesor in Public Administration, Tilburg University, The Netherlands