ABSTRACT
The fear of a media backlash, the threat of a sustained campaign of political protest or just generalised cautiousness may sometimes conspire to impede the adoption of programmes that from an external perspective may seem inevitable. Even governments with large parliamentary majorities enjoying considerable popular support can be reluctant to pursue public policies they think are desirable and justifiable. In such circumstances, one possible way to achieve a desired set of policy goals, and thus to circumvent the paradox, is to have a third party or agency that is ostensibly independent of government provide ‘ideological cover’ so that governments can pursue their desired goals. How do actors not directly at the behest of government provide such ideological cover? And what are the logics of argumentation and persuasion pursued by such actors in their efforts to enable governments to carry out their desired policies?
