ABSTRACT
Having examined the institutional and organizational landscapes that shape and structure policy networks in the three states, we turn now to central government approaches to regional development in order to evaluate how these too might have impacted upon the formation of policy networks. The first section outlines traditional policy approaches in each of the states and shows how different conceptualizations of regional development led to quite different policy outcomes. Despite this, throughout the 1980s the evolution of regional policy in all three states was influenced significantly by the co-option of new actors into the policy area. The second section looks at the incorporation of these new actors into regional policy and reviews the role played by central government in the mediation and/or management of policy change. The resulting policy programmes, initiatives and instruments are described in the third section, whilst the fourth section examines the impact of alternative financial arrangements in each of the states. The chapter concludes with an indicative assessment of how different policy approaches influence network formations.
