Replication data for: Information Exchange in Policy Networks

Information exchange in policy networks is usually attributed to preference similarity, influence reputation, social trust and institutional actor roles. We suggest that political opportunity structures and transaction costs play another crucial role and estimate a rich statistical network model on tie formation in the German toxic chemicals policy domain. The results indicate that the effect of preference similarity is absorbed by institutional, relational and social opportunity structures. Political actors choose contacts that minimize transaction costs while maximizing outreach and information. We also find that different types of information exchange operate in complementary, but not necessarily congruent, ways.

政策网络中的信息交换通常源于偏好相似性、影响力声誉、社会信任以及制度性行动者角色。本研究提出，政治机会结构与交易成本同样发挥着关键作用；我们针对德国有毒化学品政策领域内的关系联结形成问题，构建了丰富的统计网络模型并开展估计。研究结果显示，偏好相似性的影响会被制度性、关系性与社会性机会结构所吸纳。政治行动者会选择能够最小化交易成本、同时最大化信息覆盖范围与信息获取量的联结对象。此外我们还发现，不同类型的信息交换以互补而非必然一致的方式发挥作用。