|
Party
Modernization - Struggling to Reform
Abstracts (english)
Martin
Thunert: Think Tanks as Resources for Political Consultation: Preconditions
and Perspectives for the Federal Republic of Germany, FJNSB 3/99, S.
10-19
Martin Thunert presents
the results of his empirical research into scientific political consultancy
in Germany. His analysis is based on a survey of 30 institutes, foundations
and research centres, which may be held representative for the wider
German institutional landscape. Thunert distinguishes four functional
types of think tanks and compares the characteristics of the German
institutes cross-nationally. This comparison demonstrates that the think
tanks that were investigated are characterized by a focus on one specific
theme or policy area, to the detriment of themes that cross-cut conventional
boundaries between policy areas and of interdisciplinary research. Moreover,
they are considerably more dependent on public funding than their foreign
counterparts. In addition, compared to other countries, "scientificness"
features more prominently in their self-descriptions than "policy relevance"
or "media resonance". Thunert concludes that German think tanks will
have to develop more client-oriented marketing strategies for their
knowledge and services and have to more actively seek contacts with
representatives of the public and private sectors, if they wish to enhance
their impact on the extra-academic discourse.
Matthias
Machnig: The German Social Democratic Party's Campaign Platform "Kampa"
in the 1998 Federal Elections: Organization, Forms of Campaigning and
Determinants of Success, FJNSB 3/99, S. 20-39
Matthias Machnig,
former Chief Co-ordinator of "Kampa", analyzes the platform's work for
the SPD in the course of the 1998 federal election campaign. Taking the
party's situation in 1996 as a point of departure, he sketches the different
stages of the campaign, which culminated in the SPD's clear-cut election
victory of September 1998. As a start, it was necessary to re-position
and re-adjust the party's programmatic profile. To this end, several thematic
committees were established, campaigns targeting members and youth were
launched, and a series of party conferences and conventions were held.
Subsequently, the keywords "innovation" and "justice" were chosen to determine
the party's course. Central determinants of success, in Machnig's view,
were transparent lines of communication and presentation, as well as the
fixing of clearly circumscribed intermediary stages and aims. Thus, "Kampa"
was able to function as an effective logistic and organizational framework
for the campaign, which also integrated external institutions and public
relations agencies.
Gerd
Mielke: The Role of Social-Scientific Consultation in the State Chancelleries
of the Federal States, FJNSB 3/99, S. 40-48
On the basis of
a survey that was conducted in 1998 among the governmental and oppositional
political planning staffs of the SPD, Gerd Mielke concludes that the
role of social-scientific consultation in the processes of political
planning and decision-making is declining. The results from eleven federal
states confirm that political action and scientific discussions increasingly
diverge. Firstly, this is a result of the shift from innovative policy
approaches geared towards social change to routine administrative action
over the course of governments' terms. Secondly, scientific consultation
looses ground to public relations and communication, which play an increasingly
important role. Thirdly, this tendency is reinforced by the increasing
personalization of politics, which seems to further spontaneous and
voluntarist forms of decision-making. Finally, the uncertainty of results
and conclusions contributes to a loss of authority of the social sciences.
Particularly since we are living in a time of important social changes,
Mielke deplores this trend and calls on political actors to take scientific
discourse more seriously into account, in order to make the political
process more rational and better controllable.
Hans-Jochen
Luhmann: Environmental Consultancy in Germany: Why Were the "Environmental
Institutes" so Successful? , FJNSB 3/99, S. 49-53
According to Hans-Jochen
Luhmann's thesis, environmental politics is a form of security politics.
Therefore, it is the task of the environmental sciences to address and
publicize problems in this domain. The environmental institutes originated
in the natural sciences, and are either situated within a university context,
or organized as independent research institutes. Their consultancy is
directed both at public agencies dealing with the environment, and at
the wider political community. Although demands for consultation often
refer to technical, management and legal issues, Luhmann stresses that
the political dimension must not be lost out of sight.
Machthild Jansen: Trivial
Matter or Fundamental Challenge? The Expertise and Influence of Women's
Studies in Germany, FJNSB 3/99, S. 54-57
Did the women's movement have an impact on established
politics? Machthild Jansen argues that while a certain feminization of
politics has taken place, the potential for further openings of politics
to women - which was powered by the women's movement and quota politics
- has gradually dissipated. Assessing the new Red-Green government from
this perspective, Jansen concludes that its practice lags far behind the
aims that the two constituing parties have subscribed to since many years.
Women's organizations and networks are simply not consulted, and if so
not in matters of substantive content, but rather to win women's votes.
According to the author, the subordinate role of this policy area stands
in sharp contrast to its actual importance.
Gudrun Trautwein-Kalms: Consultation
and Labour Union Change, FJNSB 3/99, S. 58-62
As Gudrun Trautwein-Kalms argues, German labour unions have been hesitant
in inviting external consultation. Traditionally, consultants working
on a voluntary basis were recruited and qualified by the unions themselves.
In the 1970s, scientific consultation gained an important role. In addition,
the German unions have their own scientific institute - the WSI - which
is involved in consultancy, research, and assessment. As a result of social
change, but especially because of the unions' financial crisis, both the
structures and themes of consultation have changed recently. Increasingly,
external consultation is sought, which particularly deals with questions
of efficiency and organizational restructuring.
Michael Daxner: Chances of the Green
Academy in Intellectual Discourse, FJNSB 3/99, S. 63-67
Michael Daxner describes the process of formation and the purpose of the
newly-founded Green Academy of the Green Party's Heinrich Böll Foundation.
The Green Academy is structured as a membership organization and sees
itself less as a classical think tank, than as an intellectual space,
in which "expert lay people" can discuss timely questions free from ideological
constraints. Daxner emphasizes the Academy's purpose to serve as an intermediary
towards a wider public sphere. Focussing on the themes of "democracy"
and "sustainability", the Green Academy wants to address political and
social reality in all its complexity.
Vera Schäfer: German "Tables":
A Pro-Bono Project of McKinsey & Company - Consultancy for Non-Profit
Organizations, FJNSB 3/99, S. 68-74
As an example of consultancy for non-profit organizations, Vera Schäfer
discusses a consultation project that was undertaken between 1995 and
1997 by McKinsey & Company for the network organization "German Tables".
In her analysis, Schäfer highlights the differences and similarities
between such non-profit projects and the usual commercial consultancy
praxis. While there are important differences regarding the clients of
the two types of consultation - in particular their orientation and organizational
goals - the consultation demands and needs are very similar, regarding
both forms and substantive contents. For instance, in the project discussed
in this paper, a praxis-oriented framework for setting-up local tables,
as well as a handbook for the managment of tables were developed. These
products of the consultation project may also be of use to other social
and charitable projects and institutions.
|