This study aims at empirically improving public policy theory by unfolding the concept of policy goals and contributing to their classifications. The research focuses on the thematic dimension of policy goals and investigates 11 Croatian... more
This study aims at empirically improving public policy theory by unfolding the concept of policy goals and contributing to their classifications. The research focuses on the thematic dimension of policy goals and investigates 11 Croatian governmental strategies using qualitative content analysis. The research identifies original policy goal types and classifies them into sector-, process-, evaluation-, instrument-, and value-oriented goals. Article concludes with a more comprehensive definition of policy goals, as governmental statements about desired futures in relation to specific sectoral purposes, values and principles in democratic political systems, policymaking process improvements, necessary instrumental innovations, and evaluation standards that should be fulfilled. The application of this definition and developed goals' classification reveals that elements of policy-process theories, evaluation research, policy design theory and instrument analysis, democracy theory, and sector-specific research need to be synthesized to better understand the concept of policy goals and to advance their research.
Research Interests:
This paper published in the Croatian expert journal ''Political analyses'' reviews the modalities of inclusion of civil society organisations in the work and policy-making of the European Union (EU). Notably, the article focuses on the... more
This paper published in the Croatian expert journal ''Political analyses'' reviews the modalities of inclusion of civil society organisations in the work and policy-making of the European Union (EU). Notably, the article focuses on the efforts of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) both to influence policy-making in the EU and to form a bridgehead between EU institutions and civil society. In light of its treaty-based function, the paper concludes that the EESC occupied specific niches in the EU governance system, but lacks substantial influence on policy outputs. However, the strength of EESC is showcased through various activities contributing to the capacity-building of civil society organisations on the EU-level and at home.
