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An Analysis of Policy Networks in Kao-Pin River Restoration Movement

This thesis focuses on the case study of Kao-Pin River restoration movement. The first phase of this research uses R.A.W. Rhodes' policy network typology to categorize the complicated membership of participants of the movement. The second uses Marsh & Smith¡¦s dialectical model of policy network theory to analyze the complicated interactions, for instance, protest, alliance, competition, and coordination, between governments, professionals, environmental groups and interest groups. The research goes on to verify the mutual interaction of environmental policy, policy network, participant, and policy outcomes of Kao-Pin River governance.
The alliance of Kao-Pin River restoration movement, anti-dam movement, opposition to petrochemical and steel works has been so far the biggest social movement of southern Taiwan. Almost every southern environmental group and all levels of government were involved in the movement.
Environmental groups were usually disadvantageous minority within the policy-influential participants. In order to influence policy outcome, it is essential for environmental groups to mobilize dispersed social resources, organize intense interactive network, to gain legitimacy and public trust, and attract public attention to environmental issues. This research finds that Kao-Pin River restoration movement successfully takes advantage of power contradiction between different levels of governments, and different departments of the government; utilizes the support of local government, cooperates with scholars, experts and media to build up an intense network, to advocate sustainable river maintenance policy of water resources, against highly water-demanded industries, bureaucracy, and the authority.
The environmental activists first utilized the media support to gain legitimacy and representation for river protection. Second, they allied with media, congressman and legislators, environmental groups, scholars and experts to formulate an issue network, and won over the support of local governments to join the network. Third, they employed the contradiction of central government to start a political struggle for water resource protection. Finally, the goal of the movement was achieved through shifting of central political power and the change of river maintenance policy.
However, after the government responded to environmental activists' demands for sustainable river management and turn about relevant policy outcomes, the energy of the movement faded the alliance of issue network loosened. The main group "Green Alliance for Kao-Pin River Protection" announced disbandment in 1999, the movement entered a stage of Post-Social Movement; relevant issue groups turned to build partnership with local authority, a relationship of a kind of policy community.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:NSYSU/oai:NSYSU:etd-0818104-053900
Date18 August 2004
CreatorsShie, Yi-Jen
ContributorsCho, Chun-ying, Wong, Seng-Lee, Kao, Ming-rea
PublisherNSYSU
Source SetsNSYSU Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Archive
LanguageCholon
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
Sourcehttp://etd.lib.nsysu.edu.tw/ETD-db/ETD-search/view_etd?URN=etd-0818104-053900
Rightsunrestricted, Copyright information available at source archive

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