The nature of public policy processes in the Pacific Islands

Abstract

What is 'policy'? Where is it coming from? Who is formulating it and how? What are the characteristics of existing policies? These questions concern the nature of (public) policy processes in any context. This article addresses these questions for the Pacific islands. It draws on empirical evidence from a research to show the nature of the policy processes in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Samoa and key regional intergovernmental organisations. Policy processes have remained heavily top-down, shaped significantly by political and external interests Show more