The Politics of Meaning Struggles: Shale Gas Policy Under Pressure in France

The Politics of Meaning Struggles offers a new perspective on governmental shifts in policy decisions through a pragmatist constructivism approach, analyzing the French case of hydraulic fracturing and offering insights into the policy process.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 19 April 2022
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd

Understanding the enigmatic process behind unexpected policymaking is the central aim of this important book. It proposes to delve into the significance of meaning struggles and the uncertainty that arises from the interplay of multiple pressures in governmental decision-making. By examining the French case, where the government underwent a remarkable 3-fold shift in position before ultimately banning hydraulic fracturing, The Politics of Meaning Struggles offers a fresh perspective on the broader phenomenon of governmental shifts in policy decisions.

Through a rigorous reconstruction of multiple debates that took place not only in the public sphere but also in the private confines of government, the authors provide a comprehensive analysis of this controversial governmental U-turn. Drawing on a three-year investigation and 52 in-depth qualitative interviews across the hierarchical levels of the bureaucracy, including former ministers, and through exclusive access to the archive of Prime Minister, the authors offer a deep understanding of the complexity and uncertainty that characterize the policy process. This study builds upon the shortcomings of existing policy approaches to provide a more comprehensive explanation for why state decisions, influenced by power struggles and evolving proposals, are never predetermined in advance.

This book will be of immense value to public policy students and scholars, as well as to policy makers working within the gas industry and other governmental roles that involve policy and decision-making. By shedding light on the underlying dynamics of meaning struggles and the uncertainties that shape governmental decision-making, this book contributes to our understanding of the complex and ever-evolving world of public policy.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781802201727