Explaining regional problem definitions and policy solutions: a comparative account of regional organizations in climate and education policy

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with the distinct policy ideas of regional organizations (ROs) and how they come into being. It seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) How can regional ideas be explained? (2) What determines regional ideational outcomes and ideational change? I argue that variation and change of policy ideas over time can be explained with the way in which ROs mobilize local and regional anecdotal knowledge and combine it with global scientific knowledge available to them. New knowledge generated this way is a powerful driver of ideational change in ROs.