Formierung und Wandel eines Politikfeldes – Gesundheitspolitik von Blank zu Seehofer Marian Döhler und Philip Manow 95/6 Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung Lothringer Str. 78 D-50677 Köln Germany Telephone 0221/33605-0 Fax 0221/33605-55 MPIFG Discussion Paper 95/6 E-Mail
[email protected] ISSN 0944–2073 Home Page http: //www.mpi-fg-koeln.mpg.de Oktober 1995 2 MPIFG Discussion Paper 95/6 Abstract Policy sectors are subject to a process of development which is neither easy to explain nor to comprehend empirically. This paper tries to contribute to a better understanding of policy sector evolution by employing an analytical distinction between political decision structures and sectoral constellations of interests. Using the history of German health policy since the late 1950s as a case, both dimensions are analyzed with regard to their particular differentiation and their mutual influence on each other. By contrasting different points in time, evidence is provided that the same factors, which routinely are used to explain the failure of major reform-attempts in the health sector such as coalition gov- ernment, federalism and interest group power are by no means stable over time. Rather these factors are subject to change which, to a significant extent, resulted from the interaction between the decision structures and the constella- tions of interests. This description of the formation and the change of a policy field leads to methodological conclusions as well as to conclusions referring to the change of political decision processes in the German political system in general. * * * * * Gesellschaftliche Teilsektoren unterliegen einer Entwicklungsdynamik, deren empirische Erfassung und Erklärung vor nicht geringen Problemen steht.