Democracy by Stakeholders. Democratic Legitimation of the Regio Deals in the Achterhoek and Foodvalley

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2023-07-17

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en

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Since 2018 the Dutch national government closes deals with regional governance networks, called Regio Deals, to improve the quality of life throughout the country and to improve regional public-private partnerships. Because of the limited formal role of representative institutions on the regional level, democratic legitimacy within this governmental layer is often criticized. In this study the development and implementation of the Regio Deals in the Achterhoek and Foodvalley are studied and compared to assess their input, throughput and output legitimacy. It is concluded that the governance structure in the Achterhoek is organized more centrally and more comprehensively than in Foodvalley. Representatives and inhabitants were included more during the input process and stakeholders were involved in every aspect of the policymaking process in the Achterhoek. The formal role of the municipal councils, however, was larger in Foodvalley. The reasons for the centralized organizational structure of the Achterhoek were related to the actors within the regional network, but also the regional challenges being faced, and the morphology and the regional identity of the Achterhoek.

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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen

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