Scalar Analysis of Public Action Regimes in Europe: The Methodological Contribution of Subnational Comparisons

This article questions the way in which the national framework is automatically assumed to be best for analyzing public policy. It also calls for the development of a scalar analysis methodology in this area. The scalar analysis should mainly be based on the study of the way the most important mechanisms making up the policy process are embedded in specific spaces of social interaction. The article begins with an analysis of the possible reasons for the strong national focus of contemporary social sciences, specifically in the case of policy analysis. The analysis shows the limits of the national framework for comparative policy analysis. The second part displays the principles of the scalar method of policy systems comparison on the basis of a definition of the mechanisms that matter for the policy process. The third part deals with the impact of globalization on the policy process and shows the importance of subnational comparison for the scalar comparative method.