Many legislative decisions of the Council of the EuropeanUnion are de facto made in preparatory bodies by national officials anddiplomats. Ministers rubber-stamp these committee decisions without... Show moreMany legislative decisions of the Council of the EuropeanUnion are de facto made in preparatory bodies by national officials anddiplomats. Ministers rubber-stamp these committee decisions without discussion.Drawing on statistical as well as case study evidence, the study investigatesthe extent to which this actually occurs. Based on a formal-theoreticaldiscussion of possible explanations, the study also examines the causes for whycertain decisions are made by committee members and others by ministers. Ingeneral, the empirical findings alleviate concerns about the democraticlegitimacy of Council decisions. Show less
Trust research has become vitally important in the study of public administration. Many scholars emphasize the importance of trust for society, because it may improve co-operation. The relation... Show moreTrust research has become vitally important in the study of public administration. Many scholars emphasize the importance of trust for society, because it may improve co-operation. The relation between trust and policy making, however, has not yet been discussed very thoroughly. This is remarkable because the formulation of public policies can both increase and decrease trust. A new policy could satisfy one group of citizens while at the same time antagonizing another group. Policies can give hope, but they might also result in frustration; policies can satisfy expectations, but they can also confirm prior cynicism. In other words, administrators and politicians may both establish and lose trust while formulating and adjusting policies. The aim in this study is to understand how these competing processes play out through the study of the history of agricultural policy making in the Netherlands. Show less
