Social Networks and Policy Entrepreneurship: How Relationships Shape Municipal Decision Making about High‐Volume Hydraulic Fracturing

• Published in: Policy studies journal Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 414 - 441
• Main Authors: Arnold, Gwen, Nguyen Long, Le Anh, Gottlieb, Madeline
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2017
• Subjects: Archives & records; Bridges; Computer networks; Conflict; Data mining; Data processing; Decision makers; Decision making; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; fracking; Governance; Hydraulic fracturing; Local media; Newcomers; Policies; policy entrepreneurship; Policy making; Policy networks; Social interactions; Social network analysis; Social networks; Social organization
• ISSN: 0190-292X; 1541-0072
• DOI: 10.1111/psj.12175

Well‐resourced and well‐connected individuals, or “policy entrepreneurs,” often play an important role in advocating and securing the adoption of policies. There is a striking lack of inquiry into the ways that social networks shape the ability of these actors to achieve their aims, including the ways in which network ties may channel policy conflict. To address these gaps, we analyze data from an original survey and an original database of policies to assess the success of policy entrepreneurs (PEs) active in a highly contentious arena: municipal policymaking concerning high‐volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in New York. We use text‐mining to collect social network data from local newspaper archives, then use those data to construct municipal HVHF policy networks. Municipal anti‐HVHF PEs appear more successful when they operate in less cohesive networks, act as bridges to relative newcomers to the governance network, and have a larger number of network connections. Pro‐HVHF PEs appear more successful when they can forge high‐value connections to key decision makers. Policy entrepreneurs on both sides of the issue are more successful when they have a greater number of sympathetic coalition partners. 摘要 拥有良好资源和关系的人, 又或被称为 “政策企业家” 的那些人, 在推动政策倡议和守护现有政策中发挥着重要的作用。然而, 鲜有研究分析社会网络如何塑造这些政策行动者的能力以实现其目标, 其中包括网络关系纽带如何导致政策冲突。针对这一研究空白, 我们利用一手问卷数据和一手政策数据库来分析政策企业家在纽约市使用高容量水力压裂技术这一有着高争议的政策平台上是如何取得成功的。我们使用文本挖掘从地方报纸存档中获取社会网络数据。随后, 我们利用这些数据构建与纽约市高容量水力压裂相关的政策网络。该市反对使用高容量水力压裂技术的政策企业家在以下情况更易成功：运行低凝聚力的社会网络, 充当新人与治理网络之间的桥梁, 有大量的社会网络连接。那些支持使用高容量水力压裂技术的政策企业家在与核心政策制定者形成大量联系时更易成功。当拥有大量同心的联盟伙伴时, 该政策正反两面的政策企业家都更易成功。