Policy Credibility and Delegation to Independent Regulatory Agencies: A Comparative Empirical Analysis

Détails

ID Serval
serval:BIB_21633
Type
Article: article d'un périodique ou d'un magazine.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Titre
Policy Credibility and Delegation to Independent Regulatory Agencies: A Comparative Empirical Analysis
Périodique
Journal of European Public Policy
Auteur⸱e⸱s
Gilardi F.
ISSN
1350-1763
Statut éditorial
Publié
Date de publication
2002
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
9
Numéro
6
Pages
873-893
Langue
anglais
Résumé
Independent regulatory agencies are one of the main institutional features of the 'rising regulatory state' in Western Europe. Governments are increasingly willing to abandon their regulatory competencies and to delegate them to specialized institutions that are at least partially beyond their control. This article examines the empirical consistency of one particular explanation of this phenomenon, namely the credibility hypothesis, claiming that governments delegate powers so as to enhance the credibility of their policies. Three observable implications are derived from the general hypothesis, linking credibility and delegation to veto players, complexity and interdependence. An independence index is developed to measure agency independence, which is then used in a multivariate analysis where the impact of credibility concerns on delegation is tested. The analysis relies on an original data set comprising independence scores for thirty-three regulators. Results show that the credibility hypothesis can explain a good deal of the variation in delegation. The economic nature of regulation is a strong determinant of agency independence, but is mediated by national institutions in the form of veto players.
Web of science
Création de la notice
19/11/2007 9:45
Dernière modification de la notice
20/08/2019 12:57
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