Great policy successes, or, A tale about why it's amazing that governments get so little credit for their many everday and extraordinary achievements as told by sympathetic observers who seek to create space for a less relentlessly negative view of our pi

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY NC ND 4.0 licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. With so much media and political criticism of their shortcomings and failures, it is easy to overlook the fact that many governments work pretty well much of the time. Great Policy Successes turns the spotlight on instances of public policy that are remarkably successful. It develops a framework for identifying and assessing policy successes, paying attention not just to their programmatic outcomes but also to the quality of the processes by which policies are designed and delivered, the level of support and legitimacy they attain, and the extent to which successful performance endures over time. The bulk of the book is then devoted to 15 detailed case studies of striking policy successes from around the world, including Singapore's public health system, Copenhagen and Melbourne's rise from stilted backwaters to the highly liveable and dynamic urban centres they are today, Brazil's Bolsa Familia poverty relief scheme, the US's GI Bill, and Germany's breakthrough labour market reforms of the 2000s. Each case is set in context, its main actors are introduced, key events and decisions are described, the assessment framework is applied to gauge the nature and level of its success, key contributing factors to success are identified, and potential lessons and future challenges are identified. Purposefully avoiding the kind of heavy theorizing that characterizes many accounts of public policy processes, each case is written in an accessible and narrative style ideally suited for classroom use in conjunction with mainstream textbooks on public policy design, implementation, and evaluation. Cover 1 Great Policy Successes 4 Copyright 5 Acknowledgements 6 Contents 8 List of Figures 10 List of Tables 12 List of Contributors 14 1: How to ‘See’ Great Policy Successes: A Field Guide to Spotting Policy Successes in the Wild 16 Shifting Focus 16 How Do We Know a ‘Great Policy Success’ When We See One? 18 Studying Policy Success: Methodological Considerations 21 Case Selection 23 Temporal Complexity 24 Outline of This Volume 26 Exploring Policy Successes: Pointers about the Landscape Ahead 29 Opportunity and Necessity 30 Pro-action and Re-action 30 Concentrated and Shared Power 30 Making Progress: Miles and Inches 31 Politicization and Depoliticization 31 In consensual democracies 32 References 32 2: Brazil’s Bolsa Família Programme 36 Introduction 36 Why is Bolsa Família a Policy Success? 37 The Emergence of CCT Programmes 39 The Challenge in Integrating Federal Cash Transfers: The Origins of Bolsa Família 41 Challenges in the Implementation of the Bolsa Família Programme 43 Sustainability and Resilience 47 Conclusion 50 Notes 52 References 53 3: The Remarkable Healthcare Performance in Singapore 57 Introduction 57 Anatomy of Healthcare Success in Singapore 58 Policy History: Incremental Reforms 59 Socio-Economic Context 62 Policy Tools: Multiple Tools, Concerted Use 64 Organizational Tools 65 Financial Tools 66 Regulatory Tools 67 Information Tools 68 Political Conditions: Continuity and Unity of Purpose 69 A Health Policy Success? Assessment 72 Note 75 References 75 4: Cutting the Wait—at Least for a While: The NHS’s Assault on Waiting Times 78 Introduction 78 Improving NHS Waiting Times: Assessing Success 79 Political Success 79 Process Success 80 Programmatic Success 80 Finding Money for the NHS: Political Leadership at a Critical Juncture 80 Contexts, Challenges, and Agents of Reform 83 Reform Design and Choice 87 Delivery, Legitimacy, and Endurance of the Waiting Times Reduction Effort 91 Governing the NHS by Performance Targets: Analysis and Conclusions 93 References 95 5: The Transformation of UK Tobacco Control 99 Introduction 99 UK Tobacco Control: A Great Policy Success? 101 Programmatic Success 101 Process Success 103 Political Success 104 Contexts, Challenges, Agents: The Conditions Conducive to Policy Change 105 Design and Choice: The Window of Opportunity for a Smoking Ban 109 Delivery, Legitimacy, and Endurance: Smoking Denormalization 113 Analysis and Conclusions: A Success Story for ‘Evidence-Based Policymaking’? 114 References 116 6: The ‘Social Warfare State’: Americans’ Making of a Civic Generation 119 Introduction: An Historic Achievement 119 Prelude to the Bill 120 Drafting and Negotiating the GI Bill 123 Delivering the Policy 127 Assessing the GI Bill 127 An Enduring Commitment and Its Legacy 130 Conclusion 132 Note 134 References 134 7: The Finnish Comprehensive School: Conflicts, Compromises, and Institutional Robustness 137 Introduction 137 Assessing Comprehensive Education’s Success 138 Setting the Scene: The Main Actors and the Political Landscape 140 A Critical Juncture: The Creation of the Legislative Framework 143 Implementation Disputes 146 Deregulating Equality: The Discourse and Policy Change of the 1990s 147 Summarizing Success in the Finnish Comprehensive School System 149 Notes 152 References 152 8: Estonia’s Digital Transformation: Mission Mystique and the Hiding Hand 158 A Digital Success Story 158 Contexts, Challenges, Agents 161 History and the Hiding Hand 161 External Influences and Skills 163 Design and Choice 165 Delivery, Legitimacy, and Endurance 167 Analysis and Conclusions 169 Contextual Factors 170 Governance Principles 170 Design Principles 171 Notes 173 References 173 9: Infrastructure Partnership Success in Southern California: Building and Paying for the Alameda Corridor Rail Project 176 Introduction: A Public Infrastructure Success 176 Navigating Complexity in Developing ACTA 178 A Search for Governance 179 Building and Maintaining Political Support 182 Tackling Challenges 183 Rights of Way 183 A Tale of Many Cities: Complexity and Institutional Design 184 Adapting to Change 186 Assessing the Alameda Corridor Project 187 Programmatic Assessment 187 Process Assessment 188 Political Assessment 188 Endurance Assessment 189 Towards Sustained Success in Infrastructure Governance: Learning from ACTA 189 Endurance of Success 191 Can the ACA Experience Travel? 191 References 193 10: ‘Marvellous Melbourne’: Making the World’s Most Liveable City 195 The Rise, Fall, and Return of Marvellous Melbourne 195 Marvellous Melbourne as a Governance Success 196 Contexts, Challenges, and Agents of Urban Transformation 199 Designing and Delivering a Liveable City 205 Enduring Allure 210 Analysis and Conclusions 211 References 213 11: The Dutch Delta Approach: The Successful Reinvention of a Policy Success 216 Introduction 216 Reinventing a Success Story 217 Assessing the Dutch Delta Approach 219 Design and Governance of the Programme 221 The Road to Policy Reinvention 224 Conclusions: The Strength of Consensual Incrementalism 227 Note 230 References 230 12: The Copenhagen Metropolitan ‘Finger Plan’: A Robust Urban Planning Success Based on Collaborative Governance 233 The Long Shadow of a Post-War Expansion Plan 233 A Planning Success 234 The Historical Context for the Emergence of the Finger Plan 238 Policy Design, Political Decision-Making, and Initial Implementation 242 Absorbing Change: Adapting the Finger Plan 246 Why the Finger Plan Was Successful 249 Learning from the Copenhagen Experience 254 References 255 13: The Norwegian Petroleum Fund as Institutionalized Self-Restraint 259 Introduction: A Policy Success 259 Context and Challenges 263 The Design and Choice of a Fund 265 Implementation 268 Maintenance and Adjustments 269 Assessing the Petroleum Fund 272 Institutionalizing Self-Restraint in Public Policy: Policy Transfer from Norway? 274 Notes 276 References 277 14: New Zealand’s Economic Turnaround: How Public Policy Innovation Catalysed Economic Growth 279 Introduction 279 A Policy Success? 279 Context, Challenges, and Agents of Reform 281 Policy Design and Choice 285 Market Interventions 287 Taxation 288 State-Owned Enterprises and Privatization 288 Monetary Policy 289 Delivery, Legitimacy, and Endurance of the Reforms 290 Problems with Privatization 291 The Government Falls Apart, The Reforms Endure 292 Analysis and Conclusions 293 References 295 15: Germany’s Labour Market Policies: How the Sick Man of Europe Performed a Second Economic Miracle 298 Introduction: A Sick Man’s Recovery 298 Assessment: A Conflicted Success 299 Programmatic Assessment 299 Process Assessment 301 Political Assessment 301 Endurance Assessment 302 Policy Narrative: A One-Two Punch on Unemployment 302 Stalemate: German Labour Market Policies in the 1990s 302 A First Punch: The Hartz Reforms 305 A Second Punch: Tackling Recession 309 Conclusions: Lessons, and Challenges 311 References 314 16: Healing the Ozone Layer: The Montreal Protocol and the Lessons and Limits of a Global Governance Success Story 319 Introduction 319 Assessing the Montreal Protocol 320 The Challenge: Healing and Protecting a Global Open Access Resource 323 The Road to Montreal 325 The Role of Scientific Evidence 325 Support among the General Public and Industry 326 The Protocol Design and Negotiation Process 327 How the Protocol Gained Its Strength 329 Coping with Compliance Challenges and Costs 329 Assistance for Developing Countries 330 Distributed Leadership 331 Lessons Learned and Future Challenges 332 References 334 Index of Names 338 General Index 348 Cover......Page 1 Great Policy Successes......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Acknowledgements......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 List of Figures......Page 10 List of Tables......Page 12 List of Contributors......Page 14 Shifting Focus......Page 16 How Do We Know a ‘Great Policy Success’ When We See One?......Page 18 Studying Policy Success: Methodological Considerations......Page 21 Case Selection......Page 23 Temporal Complexity......Page 24 Outline of This Volume......Page 26 Exploring Policy Successes: Pointers about the Landscape Ahead......Page 29 Concentrated and Shared Power......Page 30 Politicization and Depoliticization......Page 31 References......Page 32 Introduction......Page 36 Why is Bolsa Família a Policy Success?......Page 37 The Emergence of CCT Programmes......Page 39 The Challenge in Integrating Federal Cash Transfers: The Origins of Bolsa Família......Page 41 Challenges in the Implementation of the Bolsa Família Programme......Page 43 Sustainability and Resilience......Page 47 Conclusion......Page 50 Notes......Page 52 References......Page 53 Introduction......Page 57 Anatomy of Healthcare Success in Singapore......Page 58 Policy History: Incremental Reforms......Page 59 Socio-Economic Context......Page 62 Policy Tools: Multiple Tools, Concerted Use......Page 64 Organizational Tools......Page 65 Financial Tools......Page 66 Regulatory Tools......Page 67 Information Tools......Page 68 Political Conditions: Continuity and Unity of Purpose......Page 69 A Health Policy Success? Assessment......Page 72 References......Page 75 Introduction......Page 78 Political Success......Page 79 Finding Money for the NHS: Political Leadership at a Critical Juncture......Page 80 Contexts, Challenges, and Agents of Reform......Page 83 Reform Design and Choice......Page 87 Delivery, Legitimacy, and Endurance of the Waiting Times Reduction Effort......Page 91 Governing the NHS by Performance Targets: Analysis and Conclusions......Page 93 References......Page 95 Introduction......Page 99 Programmatic Success......Page 101 Process Success......Page 103 Political Success......Page 104 Contexts, Challenges, Agents: The Conditions Conducive to Policy Change......Page 105 Design and Choice: The Window of Opportunity for a Smoking Ban......Page 109 Delivery, Legitimacy, and Endurance: Smoking Denormalization......Page 113 Analysis and Conclusions: A Success Story for ‘Evidence-Based Policymaking’?......Page 114 References......Page 116 Introduction: An Historic Achievement......Page 119 Prelude to the Bill......Page 120 Drafting and Negotiating the GI Bill......Page 123 Assessing the GI Bill......Page 127 An Enduring Commitment and Its Legacy......Page 130 Conclusion......Page 132 References......Page 134 Introduction......Page 137 Assessing Comprehensive Education’s Success......Page 138 Setting the Scene: The Main Actors and the Political Landscape......Page 140 A Critical Juncture: The Creation of the Legislative Framework......Page 143 Implementation Disputes......Page 146 Deregulating Equality: The Discourse and Policy Change of the 1990s......Page 147 Summarizing Success in the Finnish Comprehensive School System......Page 149 References......Page 152 A Digital Success Story......Page 158 History and the Hiding Hand......Page 161 External Influences and Skills......Page 163 Design and Choice......Page 165 Delivery, Legitimacy, and Endurance......Page 167 Analysis and Conclusions......Page 169 Governance Principles......Page 170 Design Principles......Page 171 References......Page 173 Introduction: A Public Infrastructure Success......Page 176 Navigating Complexity in Developing ACTA......Page 178 A Search for Governance......Page 179 Building and Maintaining Political Support......Page 182 Rights of Way......Page 183 A Tale of Many Cities: Complexity and Institutional Design......Page 184 Adapting to Change......Page 186 Programmatic Assessment......Page 187 Political Assessment......Page 188 Towards Sustained Success in Infrastructure Governance: Learning from ACTA......Page 189 Can the ACA Experience Travel?......Page 191 References......Page 193 The Rise, Fall, and Return of Marvellous Melbourne......Page 195 Marvellous Melbourne as a Governance Success......Page 196 Contexts, Challenges, and Agents of Urban Transformation......Page 199 Designing and Delivering a Liveable City......Page 205 Enduring Allure......Page 210 Analysis and Conclusions......Page 211 References......Page 213 Introduction......Page 216 Reinventing a Success Story......Page 217 Assessing the Dutch Delta Approach......Page 219 Design and Governance of the Programme......Page 221 The Road to Policy Reinvention......Page 224 Conclusions: The Strength of Consensual Incrementalism......Page 227 References......Page 230 The Long Shadow of a Post-War Expansion Plan......Page 233 A Planning Success......Page 234 The Historical Context for the Emergence of the Finger Plan......Page 238 Policy Design, Political Decision-Making, and Initial Implementation......Page 242 Absorbing Change: Adapting the Finger Plan......Page 246 Why the Finger Plan Was Successful......Page 249 Learning from the Copenhagen Experience......Page 254 References......Page 255 Introduction: A Policy Success......Page 259 Context and Challenges......Page 263 The Design and Choice of a Fund......Page 265 Implementation......Page 268 Maintenance and Adjustments......Page 269 Assessing the Petroleum Fund......Page 272 Institutionalizing Self-Restraint in Public Policy: Policy Transfer from Norway?......Page 274 Notes......Page 276 References......Page 277 A Policy Success?......Page 279 Context, Challenges, and Agents of Reform......Page 281 Policy Design and Choice......Page 285 Market Interventions......Page 287 State-Owned Enterprises and Privatization......Page 288 Monetary Policy......Page 289 Delivery, Legitimacy, and Endurance of the Reforms......Page 290 Problems with Privatization......Page 291 The Government Falls Apart, The Reforms Endure......Page 292 Analysis and Conclusions......Page 293 References......Page 295 Introduction: A Sick Man’s Recovery......Page 298 Programmatic Assessment......Page 299 Political Assessment......Page 301 Stalemate: German Labour Market Policies in the 1990s......Page 302 A First Punch: The Hartz Reforms......Page 305 A Second Punch: Tackling Recession......Page 309 Conclusions: Lessons, and Challenges......Page 311 References......Page 314 Introduction......Page 319 Assessing the Montreal Protocol......Page 320 The Challenge: Healing and Protecting a Global Open Access Resource......Page 323 The Role of Scientific Evidence......Page 325 Support among the General Public and Industry......Page 326 The Protocol Design and Negotiation Process......Page 327 Coping with Compliance Challenges and Costs......Page 329 Assistance for Developing Countries......Page 330 Distributed Leadership......Page 331 Lessons Learned and Future Challenges......Page 332 References......Page 334 Index of Names......Page 338 General Index......Page 348 "With so much media and political criticism of their shortcomings and failures, it is easy to overlook the fact that many governments work pretty well much of the time. Great Policy Successes turns the spotlight on instances of public policy that are remarkably successful. It develops a framework for identifying and assessing policy successes, paying attention not just to their programmatic outcomes but also to the quality of the processes by which policies are designed and delivered, the level of support and legitimacy they attain, and the extent to which successful performance endures over time. The bulk of the book is then devoted to 15 detailed case studies of striking policy successes from around the world, including Singapore's public health system,0Copenhagen and Melbourne's rise from stilted backwaters to the highly liveable and dynamic urban centres they are today, Brazil's Bolsa Familia poverty relief scheme, the US's GI Bill, and Germany's breakthrough labour market reforms of the 2000s. Each case is set in context, its main actors are introduced, key events and decisions are described, the assessment framework is applied to gauge the nature and level of its success, key contributing factors to success are identified, and potential lessons and future challenges are identified. Purposefully avoiding the kind of heavy theorizing that characterizes many accounts of public policy processes, each case is written in an accessible and narrative style ideally suited for classroom use in conjunction with mainstream textbooks on public policy design, implementation, and evaluation."--Provided by publisher ## Abstract Contrary to stereotype, democratic governments are not so bad at what they do. What can we learn about the craft and politics of policy design and policy implementation from instances of public policy success? Systematically distinguishing between program, process, political success as wel as endurance of success over time, this volume presents fifteen in-depth case studies of policy successes from around the world. Each case study contains a detailed narrative of the policy processes and assesses the extent to which the policies pursued can be regarded as successful. It offers a unique tool for researchers, teachers and students to apply theories of policy design, policymaking, and implementation to. Despite Their Many Failings And The Perennial Political Controversies That Surround Them, Governments Sometimes 'get It Right' In A Big Way. We Can Learn Much From Examining When And How This Occurs. This Text Tells The Story Of 15 Instances Of Highly Successful Government Reforms, Programmes, And Projects From Around The World. Despite their many failings and the perennial political controversies that surround them, governments sometimes 'get it right' in a big way. We can learn much from examining when and how this occurs. This book tells the story of 15 instances of highly successful government reforms, programmes, and projects from around the world.