When Doctors Shape Policy: The Impact of Self-Regulation on Governing Human Biotechnology

This paper investigates the development and adoption of governance modes in the field of human biotechnology. As the field of human biotechnology is relatively new, voluntary professional self-regulation constituted the initial governing mode. In the meantime, with the exception of Ireland, all Western European countries have moved towards greater state intervention. Nevertheless they have done so in contrasting ways and the resulting governance modes for assisted reproductive technology (ART) and embryonic stem-cell research vary greatly. Instead of imposing their steering capacity in a ‘top-down’ fashion, governments have taken pre-existing self-regulatory arrangements in the field into account and built up governance mechanisms in conjunction with private actors and pre-existing modes of private governance. Our analysis demonstrates that the form and content of the initial self-regulation explain why the self-steering capacity of the medical profession was largely or at least partially preserved through hybrid governance systems in Britain and in Germany, while in France the self-regulation was entirely replaced by governmental intervention

Diverging against all odds? Regulatory Paths in Embryonic Stem Cell Research across Western Europe

An interest-driven account of Embryonic Stem Cell Research would, given the considerable financial and scientific concerns, likely predict regulations to converge towards permissive policies. However, across Western Europe, national regulations of embryonic stem-cell research vary considerably, from general bans to permissive policies. There is a lack of systematic accounting for the non-convergence, and the sparse attempts at explanation are contradictory. Drawing on qualitative comparative analysis and configurational causality, we assess the interaction of a number of explanatory factors. Our empirical analysis reveals the importance of one factor in particular, path-dependence, insofar as prior policies on assisted reproduction exert a strong and systematic effect on the subsequent regulation of ESCR

L’évolution de la promotion de l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes au sein de l’administration : le cas de l’administration fédérale suisse

Cet article a pour ambition de dresser un état des lieux de la promotion de l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes au sein de l’administration fédérale suisse en présentant les différentes étapes de la politique d’égalité et en discutant la mise en œuvre de ses éléments clefs. Après des débuts timides, la politique d’égalité a pris davantage d’ampleur avec la mise en place d’instruments contraignants visant à réaliser l’égalité des chances. Malgré ce redimensionnement, le bilan de la politique de promotion de l’égalité de genre au sein de l’administration fédérale demeure contrasté et le plafond de verre qui entrave la carrière des femmes persiste. La féminisation du personnel fédéral est lente et s’est principalement concentrée sur les positions inférieures de l’administration. Les différences salariales entre les fonctionnaires féminins et masculins restent encore importantes. Une des causes de cette féminisation en demi-teinte est certainement à rechercher dans la mise en œuvre hétérogène de la politique d’égalité à travers les différents départements.This article reviews the evolution of the promotion of gender equality within the Swiss federal public administration, presents the development of gender equality policy overtime and discusses the implementation of its main measures. After a first policy stage based solely on guidelines, the development of equality policy within the Swiss federal administration has increasingly resulted in more constraining measures that aim at realizing gender equality. In spite of this dramatic policy redesign, equality policy impact remains contrasted and women’s career still face a glass ceiling. The feminization of civil service is slow and women concentrate mainly at lower positions. In addition, the pay gap between female and male civil servants remains important. One of the main causes of this contrasted result is certainly to be found in the heterogeneous implementation of gender equality among the different departments of the Swiss federal administration

Beyond the Usual Suspects::New Research Themes in Comparative Public Policy

The principal paradox of comparative public policy has remained over the years: there is no clear and broadly shared definition of the field. This article engages with the debate about what comparative public policy is from a distinctive perspective. Drawing from a systematic analysis of published research articles that maps out the usual comparative suspects, it reflects on what comparative public policy does and does not do in terms of comparative scope and country range, and the extent to which the limitations in the comparative scope matter for cumulative knowledge, theory building and the consolidation of the field. The article discusses different strategies to address the challenge of extending the range of comparative analysis.</p

France: Protecting Human Dignity while Encouraging Scientific Progress

Analyse du processus d'élaboration des lois bioéthiques de 1994

Enjeux de la problématisation de l'avortement: une analyse du débat au Conseil des Etats sur le régime du délai (2000-2001)

Analyse du débat parlementaire suisse sur la libéralisation de l'avortemen