
In this book, Christina Zuber outlines a theory of ideational policy stabilization to explain stable policy choices despite changing incentives. Historical legacies are frequently invoked in popular and academic accounts of the politics of migration, but the mechanisms of transmission are left underspecified. This work contributes to research on migration and to theories of public policy by arguing that the missing link between past events and present choices is ideational: initially a historical constellation of interests leads actors to defend policy ideas that match the historical environment, but over time, ideas can detach themselves from interests and stabilize into societal dispositions (shared values and identities). This occurs if elites build a discursive consensus around a policy idea, and if bureaucrats develop concomitant policy practices. The book's empirical section analyses ideational stabilization in Catalonia (Spain), which takes an inclusive approach to immigration, and in South Tyrol (Italy), where immigration is framed as a threat. The comparison shows that these differences can be explained by the political economy of historical industrialization and internal migration. Catalans were in the driving seat of industrialization, receiving unskilled migrant workers from the rest of Spain to boost their own economy. South Tyroleans, on the other hand, were in the passenger seat, perceiving incoming Italians as colonizers. Over time, socioeconomic conditions changed, and internal migration was replaced with international migration. Yet with historical ideas having stabilized into dispositions, political and administrative elites continued to understand immigration through the now-obsolete perspective of economic opportunity in Catalonia and ethnic competition in South Tyrol. Transformations in Governance is a major academic book series from Oxford University Press. It is designed to accommodate the impressive growth of research in comparative politics
This book investigates how historical legacies stabilize into contemporary policy choices regarding migration in European minority regions. Christina Isabel Zuber, a scholar in comparative politics, proposes a theory of ideational policy stabilization to bridge the gap between past events and present political outcomes. She argues that policy ideas, once established, can detach from their original economic interests and solidify into enduring societal values and administrative practices. By examining the discursive consensus built by elites and the institutionalization of practices by bureaucrats, Zuber explains why migration policies often persist despite shifting socioeconomic environments.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars in comparative politics view this work as a significant contribution to understanding the persistence of policy frameworks in regional governance. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored for researchers and students of political science and public policy.
Page Count:
209
Publication Date:
2022-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0192662937
ISBN-13:
9780192662934
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