How Does Formalism Arise in the Implementation of Government Policies at Township Level?——An analysis based on the"environment-organization-response"framework
Most existing studies tend to reduce formalism to a homogeneous type for exploration,but in policy practice,formalism va-ries in intensity.Based on the theory of rational new institutionalism and the actual operation of policies,this article constructs an"en-vironment-organization-response"analytical framework.Grounded on a case study of Town S in central China,it analyzes the mecha-nisms of different forms of formalism by considering the degree of policy goal achievement and the embedding of policy rules,from such aspects as the coercive power of policies,the organizational capacity of township governments,and their responsiveness to the institu-tional environment.The research finding show that the institutional environment constructed by policy types is the strongest factor affect-ing the implementation of township policies.Key policies,which come with strong policy pressure,mobilization,and resource support,implemented through a mobilization approach,result in weaker tendencies towards formalism.Non-key policies,constrained by policy pressure,organizational resources,and social response,exhibit varying degrees of formalism,ranging from selective to perfunctory exe-cution.This study not only advances the typology of formalism but also shifts the related analysis from a closed system to an open sys-tem,thereby more comprehensively revealing the multiple mechanisms behind the formation of formalism in grassroots policy implemen-tation.
government policy implementation at township levelformalismneo-institutionalismtypological analysisgenerative mechanism
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