Assessing the types of policy networks in policymaking: Empirical evidence from administrative reform in Italy

Policy networks can propose solutions (policy communities, and epistemic communities), defend specific instruments (instrument constituencies), and programmatically prioritize change or stability (programmatic groups). This paper focuses on two specific networks that have been present in 30 years of administrative reform in Italy, and it empirically assesses what type of network they are according to their origins, developments over time, membership and motivations to stay together, and role in the policymaking. This comparison, while improving the current understanding of the networking taking place in the Italian administrative reform, shows that if policy networks are very relevant in the policy process, it is analytically more fruitful and empirically more reliable to assess their characteristics empirically, rather than to assume their existence in advance (and make hypotheses on this basis) or to use the concept in a purely metaphorical manner.(?,(?,(?. 30?,,,?.""?:???(?.Las redes de politicas pueden proponer soluciones (comunidades de politicas y comunidades epistemicas), defender instrumentos especificos (grupos de instrumentos) y priorizar programaticamente el cambio o la estabilidad (grupos programaticos). Este articulo se centra en dos redes especificas que han estado presentes durante 30 anos de reforma administrativa en Italia, y+ evalua empiricamente que tipo de red son segun sus origenes, evolucion a lo largo del tiempo, membresia y motivaciones para permanecer juntas, y papel en el proceso. formulacion de politicas. Esta comparacion, si bien mejora la comprension actual de las redes que tienen lugar en la reforma administrativa italiana, muestra que, si las redes de politicas son muy relevantes en el proceso politico, es analiticamente mas fructifero y empiricamente mas confiable evaluar sus caracteristicas empiricamente, en lugar de hacerlo. asumir su existencia de antemano (y formular hipotesis sobre esta base) o utilizar el concepto de una manera puramente metaforica

The Role of Regulatory Agencies in Agenda‐Setting Processes: Insights from the Italian Response to the COVID‐19 Infodemic

International organizations such as the WHO have worked to raise awareness of the massive infodemic that accompanied the COVID‐19 outbreak and made it hard for people to find trustworthy sources of information and reliable guidance for their decisions. Our contribution focuses on the Italian case, where the Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM) was able to act as first mover in its field so as to strategically frame the problem of disinformation in the absence of a pre‐existing policy intervention. An emerging body of research shows that the activity of formally independent regulators is not necessarily limited to the implementation of delegated regulatory competencies. We discuss the implications of the activity of independent regulators for the fight against disinformation during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We find that as a political actor in its own right, the Italian media regulator claimed control over sectoral expertise in order to shape the crucial first steps of the response to the infodemic