Resilienz in der Politikumsetzung – Konzept, empirische Grundlagen und Perspektiven zukünftiger Forschung
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Abstract
Resilience in Policy Implementation – Concept, Empirical Foundations, and Prospects for Future Research
This article develops the concept of resilient policy implementation to explain how administrations remain capable of action under political pressure. Resilience is understood as a dynamic process that enables administrations to absorb stress without abandoning the core objectives of political programs. Theoretically, a three-pillar model is proposed, distinguishing organizational resources, policy capacity, and agency. These dimensions illustrate that resilience cannot be reduced to structural resources or individual agency alone but emerges from their interaction. Resilient implementation is not merely a defensive reaction but also an actively shaping quality of administrative action, aiming at both endurance and adaptation. At the same time, resilience raises normative tensions, as it secures constitutional stability on the one hand but may collide with democratic responsiveness on the other. Finally, the essay outlines a prospective research agenda that systematically explores these ambivalences and examines the concept in a comparative perspective across different institutional contexts.
Keywords: resilient policy implementation, organizational resources, policy capacity, agency
Bibliography: Sager, Fritz, Stauffer, Bettina, Hadorn, Susanne, Kuenzler, Johanna & Mavrot, Céline (2026). Resilienz in der Politikumsetzung – Konzept, empirische Grundlagen und Perspektiven zukünftiger Forschung. dms – der moderne staat – Zeitschrift für Public Policy, Recht und Management, 19(2-2026), 38-56.
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