Welcome at Policy Analysis and Environmental Governance (PEGO)

In August 2011, the Institute of Political Science (IPW) at the University of Bern installed the Assistant Professorship of Policy Analysis and Environmental Governance (PEGO). This Chair was founded as a result of a fruitful collaboration between the IPW and the EAWAG (the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology). Since the beginning of this Assistant Professorship, Karin Ingold took the lead in this new research group. She is a political scientist and focuses her research and lectures on the analysis of policy processes, and instrument design. Karin Ingold has a particular interest in issues relating to natural resource management, water, energy and climate policy. PEGO is also affiliated to the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change research.

On April 1st 2012, the Assistant Professorship started its first SNF funded research project entitled “How to explain Instrument Selection in Complex Policy Processes”. Since March 1st 2012, Philip Leifeld works a post-doc and senior researcher at the EAWAG and is affiliated as a researcher and lecturer to the Assistant Professorship of Policy Analysis and Environmental Governance (PEGO). September 1st Manuel Fischer and Eva Lieberherr started as Post Docs at PEGO.

Research focus

Policy Analysis, Policy Process Theory, Instrument Design, Environmental Policy, Application of Social Network Analysis

Recent Publications

• Hering, Janet, and Karin Ingold. 2012. Water Resources Management: What Should Be Integrated? Policy Forum, Science 8 June 2012: 1234-1235.
• Ingold, Karin. 2011. Network Structures within Policy Processes: Coalitions, Power, and Brokerage in Swiss Climate Policy. Policy Studies Journal 39(3): 435-59.
• Ingold, Karin, and Frédéric Varone. 2011. Treating Policy Brokers Seriously: Evidence from the Climate Policy. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. First published online July 19, 2011 doi:10.1093/jopart/mur035
• Ingold, Karin. 2008. Les mécanismes de décision: Le cas de la politique climatique Suisse, Politikanalysen. Zürich : Rüegger Verlag.

Collaborators
 

Lead
Prof. Dr. Karin Ingold

Post-Doc
Manuel Fischer
Philip Leifeld
Eva Lieberherr

Assistant/PhD Candidate
Florence Metz

Junior research assistant
Muriel Gschwend
Chantal Strotz

Recent Awards

Philip Leifeld receives the Sudwestmetall Award for his research on discourse networks. The prize is endowed with 5,000 euros and is sponsored by the German Employers Federation Sudwestmetall.

Congratulations to Manuel Fischer for winning the Young Scholars Award 2012 from the Swiss Political Science Association for the best PhD thesis during the last two years. He wrote his PhD about Decision Structures in Swiss Politics in the 21st Century.

Events

Also in 2013, PEGO co-organizes the Conference of the Application of Social Network Analysis (ASNA). In 2013 the ASNA celebrates its 10 years and  takes place from August 27-30th at the University of Zurich, Oerlikon. For more details see www.asna.ch.

Since October 2012 PEGO co-organizes the „Advanced SNA Meeting“ series. The aim of the meetings is to foster exchange among SNA scholars in the region and to discuss SNA methods and recent developments. The idea is that the participants have the opportunity to present  their current work in an informal setting and get feedback from the other participants.

Master and Bachelor thesis (topics)

The following topics for Master thesis at this chair are still available: 

• Uri, Baselland und Bern sind die einzigen Kantone, die eine „Wasserstrategie“ haben: Dienen diese als Grundlage für eine nationale Schweizer Wasserstrategie?
• Trade offs in policy making taking the example of hydropower vs. river bed revitalization. A comparison between the Netherlands and Switzerland.
• Political discourse networks and its impact on policy-making. The example of micropollutants in print media.
• (Environmental) legislative networks in Swiss politics: a formal social network analysis based on co-membership in committees and co-sponsoring of legislation.
• (Environmental) lobbying agendas in Switzerland over time: a two-mode network analysis on actors and issues based on participation in the consultation procedure.
• Cantonal collaboration in the water (or environment) domain: a social network analysis based on inter-cantonal concordats.
• Europeanization of water policy-making in Switzerland: does it exist? And if yes, what are the mechanisms?
• The role of Wasseragenda 21 in Swiss water politics: Parallel decision-making arena or cheap talk?

Master thesis can be written in German, French or English. Master thesis can also be written about other topics not listed here, but they should still be in the field of policy analysis and/or environmental research.
 

The following topics for Bachelor thesis at this chair are still available: 

• Vergleich der Flussgebietsorganisationen am Rhein: Aufbau, Kompetenzen und Entscheidungsprozesse
• Politikinstrumente im Gewässerschutz: Regulierung von Mikroschadstoffen im internationalen Vergleich (z.B. CH, D, F, NL)
• Polity in der Wasserpolitik: Water Agencies im Vergleich zu ministerialen Wasserabteilungen
• Die Rolle des Parlaments im Politikprozess am Beispiel Gewässerschutz
• Der Einfluss von Politiknetzwerken auf Policy Outcomes. Eine Literaturstudie