In 2007 the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) was reformed by the introduction of the so-called trio Presidency . The trio mechanism encourages policy continuity by grouping incumbent Presidencies in teams of three and inviting them to coordinate. This thesis seeks to contribute original knowledge on EU policy-making by mapping how trio practices are established, exploring which factors explain how Member States coordinate, and by assessing how the trio arrangement affects the EU agenda. Empirically, the trio function is examined through its implementation in the policy area of sport, focusing on the three trios to assume office after the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. The analysis is structured around a number of carefully selected dossiers adopted between 2010 and 2013. Guided by a conceptual framework based on agenda-setting and new institutionalism, these decisions are submitted to in depth process-tracing. The analysis draws on qualitative research, primarily official documents and 37 semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that actors approach the trio with differing preferences and expectations, leading to much variation in how the arrangement is performed. The thesis identifies a number of factors that explain variation. Thus, a fixed agenda supports trios in coordinating priorities and activities ex ante. Moreover, coordination is conditioned by trio composition, as federal and new Member States are more inclined to cooperate. Further, trio practices are shaped by factors such as multiannual planning and focusing events, with the intenseness of trio coordination reflecting whether the agenda includes issues that demand sustained attention. The thesis concludes that the introduction of the trio mechanism has preserved the ability of Member States to use the Council Presidency to prioritise national priorities whilst also encouraging and facilitating EU policy continuity. By extending agenda-management beyond a six month spell, the trio can strengthen the agenda-setting powers of incumbent Member States, particularly on issues that concern establishing urgent responses or developing Council procedures. Moreover, evidence suggests that the arrangement can produce a specific spirit of collegiality, trio solidarity, which sees trio Member States support each other during negotiations, thus affecting EU policy-making beyond agenda-management.

The District of Colombia poses a unique challenge to private employers because the passage of a local medical marijuana policy was instituted in a federalized district that is obligated to abide by federal Schedule 1 narcotic laws. Using punctuated equilibrium as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this case study was to understand how managers maintain compliance and address the conflict between different levels of government. Data were collected from interviews with 8 private industry hiring personnel who operate within the District of Columbia. These interviews were transcribed, inductively coded using a 2 cycle coding procedure, and then subjected to a thematic analysis procedure. Two primary themes emerged; cognizance of the policy, and fear and safety concerns related to enforcement. In the case of the theme of cognizance, punctuated equilibrium was confirmed in that unbalanced policy development had negative or positive interpretations that created a significant subsystem effect. The second theme of “fear” is also explained through punctuated equilibrium as marijuana legalization is perceived as an emotional policy issue in the establishment of new policy. Implications for positive social change stems from recommendations to policy makers to clarify remaining ambiguity about the requirements associated with the juxtaposition of federal and local policy and law. Reconciling the differences between policies may improve the capacity for hiring authorities to better understand and practice effective talent recruitment while at the same time be attentive to the social needs in the District of Columbia related to workplace medical marijuana policies.

This paper aims to study the correlation between the proportion of young people and climate policymaking on a local governmental level. This is measured by how the proportion of population under 18 in municipalities affectthe amount of carbon dioxide emission reducing actions and the budgeting towards institutions of environmental health, measured as a proportion to the yearly municipal budget, in respective municipality. To help unpack the results, two theoretical frameworks are used. First, Punctuated Equilibrium theory and second, the Advocacy coalition framework. The punctuation used for this paper is derived from Greta Thunberg’s school strikes for climate, and the paper uses people under 18 as a hypothesised weaker coalition trying to affect local decision makers to reach a climate policy equilibrium, in this paper, passively. The results show no such statistically significant correlation, just a couple of weak negative regression coefficients. This means that there is no support for the hypothesised relationship between the studied variables. However, this study found that the average level of formal education in the observed municipalities had a significant impact on the emission reduction actions in a positive way and budgeting in a negative way.

Submitted by Maicon Juliano Schmidt (maicons) on 2015-06-26T14:21:23Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ubiratan Gomes de Carvalho Sá.pdf: 3840748 bytes, checksum: ca0568ea013901b5a0e2d2a165ee0bc7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-26T14:21:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ubiratan Gomes de Carvalho Sá.pdf: 3840748 bytes, checksum: ca0568ea013901b5a0e2d2a165ee0bc7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-10 / Nenhuma / Os estudos das trajetórias de empresas buscam identificar as razões da longevidade através dos fatores relevantes de manutenção da competitividade em longos períodos de tempo. Nas empresas intensivas em capital e tecnologia, as práticas de inovação tecnológica estão subordinadas à estratégia. Isso ocorre pela importância que elas têm no desempenho da firma. As empresas do setor petroquímico se encaixam nessa descrição. Elas também são importantes na atividade econômica do país e do Rio Grande do Sul pela presença à montante em várias cadeias de suprimento, uma vez que fornece matéria-prima a outras indústrias de transformação; pelo caráter estratégico à jusante do refino do petróleo e utilização de gás natural; e pela participação ativa na balança comercial exportando produtos e importando insumos e equipamentos. As empresas do Complexo Petroquímico de Triunfo passaram por vários episódios de turbulência que transformaram suas estruturas. Estes coincidem, grosso modo, com mudanças no ambiente econômico e regulatório, eventos como crises econômicas, consolidação da indústria química e petroquímica, surgimento e barateamento de novas tecnologias complementares. Para compreender essas transformações e os impactos nas práticas de inovação tecnológica, foram avaliadas as principais teorias que tentam explicar os fatores que influenciam na competitividade das empresas. A abordagem escolhida foi a Teoria do Equilíbrio Pontuado por considerar a evolução das empresas como resultado da dinâmica entre fatores externos e internos nas modificações estruturais geradoras de breves turbulências seguidas de um período de relativa estabilidade no qual essas transformações se consolidam. Uma pesquisa qualitativa foi realizada nas quatro empresas atualmente em operação no Complexo Industrial de Triunfo na modalidade estudo de casos múltiplos. A coleta e a análise de dados, abrangendo o intervalo de tempo desde o início das operações até 2011, indicam a ocorrência de três momentos de turbulência e dois de estabilidade. A contribuição desta pesquisa está na confirmação do uso da Teoria do Equilíbrio Pontuado em estudos longitudinais de trajetória de empresas e não apenas em curtos períodos de tempo. A comparação com outros estudos semelhantes pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento da teoria. / Trajectories of firms studies’ seek to identify the reasons for their longevity through the relevant factors of being competitive in long periods of time. The ones intensive in capital and technology have technological innovation practices subordinated to strategy due to its importance for the firm performance. The petrochemical companies fit this description. They are also important for both national and regional economic activity by the upstream presence in several supply chains, since they provide raw material for other manufacturing industries, their strategic place at downstream petroleum refining and natural gas use, and through active participation in national trade accounts by exporting products and importing materials and equipment. Companies located at Triunfo Petrochemical Complex in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil went through several episodes of turbulence which transformed their structures. These coincide roughly with changes in the economic environment and regulatory events such as economic downturns, worldwide consolidation of chemical and petrochemical industry, and emergence of new and cheaper complementary technologies. To understand these changes and impacts on the technological innovation practices were evaluated a set of theories that attempt to explain the factors influencing firm’s competitiveness. The chosen approach was the Theory of Punctuated Equilibrium by considering companies’ evolution as a result of the dynamics among external and internal factors that trigger structural changes generating turbulence followed by a brief period of relative stability in which these transformations are consolidated. A qualitative study was conducted in four companies currently operating in the Triunfo Petrochemical Complex using the multiple case study methodology. The data collection and analysis covering the time interval from the start of operations until 2011 indicate the existence of turbulence for three times and two periods of stability. This research can contribute on confirming the Theory of Punctuated Equilibrium use for longitudinal studies of companies’ trajectory, not only for short periods of time. Comparison with other similar studies may contribute to the development of this theory.

As experienced fighter pilots leave the United States Air Force (USAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), there is a need to develop new competent pilots to meet national defense requirements. Fighter training programs are expensive for taxpayers, and the USAF and RAAF face significant resource problems developing and implementing these programs. Using policy feedback theory and punctuated equilibrium theory as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this comparative, multi-case study of current USAF F-16 and RAAF F-18 fighter pilot training policies was to inform training policy development and efficacy of future USAF and RAAF fighter pilot training programs. Data were gathered from training policy documents and 12 interviews with F-16 and F-18 pilots. Data were deductively coded and analyzed using policy feedback and punctuated event themes. Findings indicate that policy feedbacks and punctuated events influence fighter pilot training policy. Best practices for training include optimum stress management, appropriate academic course timing, and phase-based training techniques. Optimal instructional approaches included a servant leadership philosophy and a need for improved kinesthetic flight preparation tools and procedures. The USAF and RAAF approach fighter pilot training differently. The positive social change implications stemming from this study include recommendations to the USAF and RAAF that may improve fighter pilot training policy at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayers.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:15:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5622.pdf: 4394717 bytes, checksum: 7cdfe56150e2202e37e0c203bf9f5d30 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09-25 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / When sport was implemented in Brazil conceding everyone s right, governmental actions started incurring in sports field aiming the provision of the democratization, autonomy and liberty. Such fact favors the overcoming of the traditional corporatist sport policy present in previous policy contexts. The Brazil s democratic context enables the sport policy to conform a new standard of sport public policymaking. Thereby, our study assumes that the alternation of the public regime enabled significant changes in the standard of sport public policymaking. Thus, our objective of study focuses on analysis key elements: ideas, actors and institutions which influence on the process of sport public policymaking in the time range that involves the sport constitutionalization in 1988 until the creation of the Ministry of Sport in 2003.The objective is to analyze the incidence of ideas, policy actors and governmental institutions surrounding the sport policy brought by the changes in the policy system, and the indications in the sport policymaking until the creation of the Ministry of Sport. To carry out this study, we based ourselves on the conceptual and methodological approach to the public policy, the Punctuated-Equilibrium Theory, which uses the structure of policy ideas and subsystems (actors and institutions) in order to investigate long periods of public policy stability and policy abrupt changes. / A partir do momento em que o esporte fora instituído no Brasil como direito de todos, ações governamentais incidiram no setor esportivo com o objetivo de prover a democratização, a autonomia e a liberdade. Fato que favoreceu para a superação da tradicional política de esporte corporativista existente nos contextos políticos passados. O contexto democrático do Brasil possibilitou à política de esporte a conformação de um novo padrão de formulação de políticas públicas de esporte. Desse modo, nosso estudo parte do pressuposto que a alternância de regime político possibilitou significativas mudanças do padrão de formulação de políticas públicas de esporte. Assim, o nosso objeto de estudo se concentra em elementos chaves de análise: ideias, atores e instituições, que influênciam no processo de formulação de políticas públicas de esporte no recorte temporal que envolve a constitucionalização do esporte, em 1988, até a criação do Ministério do Esporte, em 2003. Com o objetivo de analisar a incidência de ideias, atores políticos e instituições governamentais em torno da política de esporte trazidas com a mudança de regime político e as pontuações na formulação de política de esporte até a criação do Ministério do Esporte. Para isso, utilizaremos a abordagem conceitual e metodológica de análise de política pública o Modelo do Equilíbrio Pontuado que se utiliza de estrutura de ideias políticas e subsistemas políticos (atores e instituições) para analisar períodos longos de estabilidades política pública e mudanças abruptas na mesma.

Submitted by Aelson Maciera (aelsoncm@terra.com.br) on 2017-06-08T18:19:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFSC.pdf: 1110469 bytes, checksum: f0d46b0ea8125d9d7b00c3e857a7cfd6 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-06-13T18:31:56Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFSC.pdf: 1110469 bytes, checksum: f0d46b0ea8125d9d7b00c3e857a7cfd6 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-06-13T18:32:04Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFSC.pdf: 1110469 bytes, checksum: f0d46b0ea8125d9d7b00c3e857a7cfd6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-13T18:36:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFSC.pdf: 1110469 bytes, checksum: f0d46b0ea8125d9d7b00c3e857a7cfd6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-10 / Não recebi financiamento / This research has as general objective to analyze the trajectory and the movement of the agrarian question in the governmental agenda, from 1995 to 2006, based on the application of instruments that show the change in the priorities of this policy, specifically observing the Presidential Discourses, Decrees, Provisional Measures and Messages forwarded by the President of the Republic to the National Congress, based on a multidisciplinary view of public policies, notably the formation studies in the agenda-setting. The analysis used here, therefore, focuses on the process of changes in public policies focused on the governments FHC I and II and Lula I. So, that the objectives are achieved, this dissertation is based on the model of punctuated equilibrium (Punctuated Equilibrium Framework) Baumgartner and Jones (1993) which seeks, through temporal mapping of care indicators, analyze the rise and the changes of an issue on the government agenda over time. From the above model, will seek to clarify, explain and discuss the movement of land reform policies over twelve years of administrations. Thus, is expected to contribute to the studies in the field of public policies on the agenda of training in Brazil. / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo geral analisar a trajetória e a movimentação da questão agrária na agenda governamental, no período compreendido entre 1995 e 2006, apoiando-se na aplicação de instrumentos que demostrem a mudança nas prioridades dessa política, observando especificamente, os Discursos Presidenciais, os Decretos, as Medidas Provisórias e as Mensagens encaminhadas pelo Presidente da República ao Congresso Nacional, a partir de um olhar multidisciplinar das políticas públicas, notadamente dos estudos de formação na agenda governamental (agenda-setting). A análise aqui empregada se debruça, portanto, sobre o processo de mudanças em políticas públicas com foco nos governos FHC I e II e Lula I. Para que os objetivos sejam alcançados, essa dissertação tem como base o modelo de Equilíbrio Pontuado (Punctuated Equilibrium Framework) de Baumgartner e Jones (1993) que busca, por meio do mapeamento temporal de indicadores de atenção, analisar a ascensão e as mudanças de uma questão na agenda governamental ao longo do tempo. A partir do modelo exposto buscaremos explicitar, explicar e problematizar a movimentação das políticas de reforma agrária ao longo de doze anos de administrações. Como resultado espera-se contribuir para os estudos no campo de políticas públicas em especial sobre a formação de agenda no Brasil.

No description available.

I contribute to the literature by providing additional factors that could affect the incremental budgeting theory and punctuated equilibrium theory (PET) within a budgetary context. Because of the fluctuation in the price of natural resources, I argue that dependence on natural resources could lead to less stable budgets than ones not dependent on natural resources. I also argue that democracy is another source that leads to stability in the budget, relative to countries that are not democratic. I theorize that countries with no democracy and heavy dependence on natural resources will have budgets with more volatility than the rest of the countries. Most of the extant literature focuses on countries that are democratic and not dependent on natural resources. My theory expects these to have the most stable budgets. I extend the literature by comparing the Kuwaiti National Budget (dependent on natural resources and not democratic) to the U.S. Federal Budget (democratic and not dependent on natural resources). The results of all tests are consistent with the expectations of the theory that countries with no democracy and heavy dependence on natural resources have less incremental budgets than nations that are democratic and not dependent on natural resources.

This thesis investigates the role of ideas in policy processes. It does so using three theories as a starting point, selected for being alike yet unique in their description of how ideas may “get stuck” in the organization’s production and reproduction of policy. The theories are Discourse Coalition Framework, Advocacy Coalition Framework, and Punctuated Equilibrium Theory. These theories have very different emphases but share constructivist traits and an interest in how social processes of meaning making take form in a rather “traditional” organizational setting, thus paying attention to, if not reducing the study to, the institutions of representative democracy. Two theoretical problems are identified within these theories. They concern 1) the mechanism and 2) the object of analysis. The theoretical question addressed in part I is: How are we to understand the proposition that ideas may cause stability in policy processes? What is the underlying mechanism? It is argued that the cognitive mechanism which the theories use should be substituted with a social psychological one. The assumption that stability is created when political actors conform to the ideas of others when they are confronted with apparent unanimity among policy makers, rather than that they internalize these ideas, makes both greater stability and instability in policy processes more plausible. Part II poses the question; if we are to investigate policy stability and instability using the discussed theoretical perspective, what unit of analysis should we use? In other words, what is a policy? It is argued that if ideological stability is seen as an effect of how policy formulation is organized (as is argued in part I), then close attention must be paid to processual factors when it is decided what unit of policy, on what level, might be explained. It is furthermore argued that although we may theoretically form an idea about substantially coherent patterns of policy recognizable as a policy, which should result from stable organizational patterns of communication in the policy process, it remains an empirical question if and where these patterns can actually be found. An analysis of Swedish environmental policy is performed to allow for observations of the degree to which empirical evidence is consistent with the policy patterns predicted by the theoretical assumptions outlined in part one.