Agenda dynamics in Latin America: theoretical and empirical opportunities / Dinámica de la Agenda de Políticas Públicas en América Latina: oportunidades teóricas y empíricas / Dinâmicas da agenda de políticas públicas na América Latina: oportunidades teóricas e empíricas

Abstract The Comparative Agendas Project (CAP) collects, organizes, and makes freely available millions of bits of information concerning the objects of government attention over long periods of time (often back to the Second World War) for more than 25 political systems, worldwide. As researchers affiliated with the CAP expand their projects into Latin America, they confront some challenges similar to those from other regions, and some unique to their national political systems. In this introductory essay, we explore the background of the CAP and the opportunities posed by its expansion into Latin American political systems.

Resumen: El Comparative Agendas Project (CAP, por sus siglas en inglés) recopila, organiza y pone a disposición de forma gratuita millones de datos sobre los temas que han sido priorizados por parte de políticos y gobernantes en más de 25 sistemas políticos de todo el mundo. Estas bases de datos abarcan un período de tiempo largo, que en la mayoría de casos comienza tras el fin de la Segunda Guerra Mundial). Los investigadores que desarrollan proyectos siguiendo la metodología del CAP en América Latina tienen que hacer frente a los desafíos comunes que los investigadores han encontrado al analizar la agenda política, a otros exclusivos de los sistemas políticos de los países de esta región. En este ensayo introductorio, exploramos los antecedentes del CAP y las oportunidades que se presentan con su expansión a los sistemas políticos latinoamericanos.

Resumo O Comparative Agendas Project (CAP) coleta, organiza e disponibiliza gratuitamente milhões de dados sobre os temas que têm chamado a atenção de governos em mais de 25 sistemas políticos de todo mundo. Os dados disponíveis compreendem um longo período desde a Segunda Guerra Mundial. Na expansão de seus projetos para a América Latina, os pesquisadores ligados ao CAP enfrentam, além de desafios comuns aqueles encontrados globalmente, outras adversidades particulares dos sistemas políticos adotados nas nações da região. Neste ensaio introdutório, exploramos os antecedentes do CAP e as oportunidades que se apresentam com sua expansão aos sistemas políticos latino-americanos.

Advocacy coalition formation and key actors within the policy / Formación de coaliciones de defensa y actores clave dentro de la política / Formação de coalizão de defesa e atores chaves da política

Abstract The article discusses advocacy coalition formation and the roles of key actors in science, technology and innovation (ST&I) policies for social inclusion in a subnational context. The policy subsystem category and concept of advocacy coalition are used in the context of the advocacy coalition framework and address the need to understand the influences of key actors (policy broker and policy entrepreneur) on it. The policy subsystem was outlined using case-oriented research and the discourse was analyzed in order to understand the policy actors' beliefs. The analysis of two cases of ST&I policy processes for social inclusion (assistive technology and social technology) highlighted policy broker and policy entrepreneur key roles in the emergence of policy subsystems, but had different effects on advocacy coalition formation. The policy entrepreneur had a closer relationship with advocacy coalition building when setting up regular mechanisms to share beliefs and policy-oriented learning, as well as taking initiatives to coordinate the collective action of members in the early advocacy coalition. Although relevant in agenda setting and maintaining a specific social inclusion agenda in the policy process, the policy broker did not achieve a positive relationship with advocacy coalition building. The article corroborates the possibility of incorporating the concept of policy entrepreneur in analyses of the advocacy coalition framework and highlights this actor's characteristics through this analytical model.

Resumen El artículo analiza la formación de coaliciones de defensa y los roles de los actores clave en las políticas de ciencia, tecnología e innovación (PCTI) para la inclusión social en un contexto subnacional. Considerando el modelo de coalición de defensa (MCD), se utilizaron como referencia las categorías analíticas del subsistema de la política y de la coalición de defensa, para comprender las influencias de los actores clave, específicamente del policy broker (intermediario) y del emprendedor de políticas. El subsistema de la política se delimitó mediante el método de investigación basado en casos y se usó el análisis del discurso para comprender las creencias de los actores en la política. El análisis de dos casos del proceso de la PCTI para la inclusión social (tecnología social y tecnología de la rehabilitación) resaltó los roles de los actores clave en la aparición de subsistemas de la política, sin embargo tuvieron diferentes efectos en la formación de coaliciones de defensa. El emprendedor de políticas tuvo una mayor relación con la formación de una coalición de defensa al establecer mecanismos regulares para comunicar sus posiciones y aprendizajes orientados a la política, así como al tomar iniciativas para coordinar la acción colectiva en la naciente coalición de defensa. El policy broker no logró una relación positiva con la formación de las coaliciones de defensa analizadas, pero sí fue relevante para el establecimiento de la agenda y la permanencia de la pauta de inclusión social en el proceso de la política. Este trabajo corrobora la posibilidad de incorporar el concepto de emprendedor de política en los análisis de MDC y señala las características de este actor clave en el modelo analítico estudiado.

Resumo O artigo discute a formação de coalizão de defesa e o papel de atores chaves em políticas de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (CT&I) para inclusão social em um contexto subnacional. No âmbito do Modelo de Coalizão de Defesa (MCD), utilizou-se as categorias analíticas do subsistema da política e da coalizão de defesa como referência e buscou-se compreender as influências de atores chaves nestas, especificamente o policy broker (mediador) e o empreendedor de política. O subsistema de política foi delimitado pelo método de pesquisa baseada em caso e a análise de discurso foi mobilizada para compreender as crenças dos atores da política. A análise de dois casos do processo de política de CT&I para inclusão social (tecnologia social e tecnologia assistiva) realçou os papéis de atores chaves na emergência dos subsistemas de política, porém estes tiveram diferentes efeitos sobre a formação de coalizões de defesa. O empreendedor da política teve maior relação com a formação de coalizão de defesa ao estabelecer mecanismos regulares para compartilhamento de crenças e aprendizados orientados para a política, bem como ao tomar iniciativas de coordenação da ação coletiva na coalizão de defesa nascente. O policy broker não alcançou relação positiva substancial com a formação das coalizões de defesa analisadas, embora tenha sido relevante para o agenda-setting e a permanência da pauta de inclusão social no processo da política. O artigo corrobora com a possibilidade de incorporação do conceito de empreendedor de política em análises do MDC e aponta características deste ator chave iluminadas pelo modelo analítico.

Policy analysis of health system reform in Luohu district of Shenzhen City / 中国卫生政策研究

Health system reform at district-level is an important but often neglected component in health system reform of China. According with the national policy-strategy guidance and the local health needs and problems within its jurisdiction,Luohu District has taken a series of effective reform measures for promoting a comprehensive reform since 2015,in which the crucial part was the establishment of"LuoHu Hospital Group". The reform in Luohu was initiated by the district-level government under the favorable policy and external conditions. The district government departments explored and innovated,and developed a featured district-level health system reform road. This experi-ence shows that district-level government should be an active actor in the local health system reform in China. The re-form in Luohu is still on the way,and more effect is yet to emerge, but the experience is of important reference for the health system reform in other regions/cities of China.

Public Participation in the Process of Local Public Health Policy, Using Policy Network Analysis / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: To assess the current public participation in-local health policy and its implications through the analysis of policy networks in health center programs. METHODS: We examined the decision-making process in sub-health center installations and the implementation process in metabolic syndrome management program cases in two districts ('gu's) of Seoul. Participants of the policy network were selected by the snowballing method and completed self-administered questionnaires. Actors, the interactions among actors, and the characteristics of the network were analyzed by Netminer. RESULTS: The results showed that the public is not yet actively participating in the local public health policy processes of decision-making and implementation. In the decision-making process, most of the network actors were in the public sector, while the private sector was a minor actor and participated in only a limited number of issues after the major decisions were made. In the implementation process, the program was led by the health center, while other actors participated passively. CONCLUSIONS: Public participation in Korean public health policy is not yet well activated. Preliminary discussions with various stakeholders, including civil society, are needed before making important local public health policy decisions. In addition, efforts to include local institutions and residents in the implementation process with the public officials are necessary to improve the situation.