Reflections on the methodology of agricultural policy research

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This analysis deals with the causal relationships between present methodological problems of agricultural policy research and insufficiencies of agricultural policy recommendations in democratic societies. The prevailing conception of political rationality in agricultural economics focuses on ‘policy instruments’, but excludes more detailed research on ‘political coordination mechanisms’. This term embraces the various institutions regulating the politicians' decisions and the policy process, e.g. elections, collective action, constitutional agreement, interest groups, bureaucracy, negotiations, coalitions etc. Since it is in this area that new issues of practical relevance arise, a corresponding innovation in the theory of agricultural policy is needed. The implicitly accepted view that rationality and democracy are, in a sense, contradictory terms has to be revised.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: