Research directions
Multilevel governance
The policy studies carried out within the lab are particularly sensitive to the reorganization of decision-making power, in relation to the 'denationalization' of governance. Public policies are analyzed at different levels, ranging from the local to the global levels. For example, research in the LAGAPE deals with subjects such as urban governance, federal systems, European integration and the impact of globalization and Europeanization on national policy. Comparative studies across governmental levels and the scrutiny of their interactions, such as in the cases of metropoles and of cross-border cooperation, are becoming increasingly necessary to capture contemporary policy-making.
Governance and democracy
The transformation of modes of governance carries important challenges for the functioning of democratic political systems. A critical reflection is being developed within the LAGAPE, to assess the implications for accountability and democratic control brought by the multiplication of informal spheres of influence that tend to escape formal channels of power and oversight by public authorities. Likewise, the growing influence of interest groups and the technocratization of the policy-making process, i.e. the growing impact of non-elected actors, impact on the arenas and outcomes of political deliberation and participation.
