Policy Experiments, Failures and Innovations takes a policy studies perspective in considering post-communist EU member states’ experiences since accession. The book analyses policy transfer processes and expands the new and growing sub-field of policy failure by interrogating the binary ideas of ‘failure’ and ‘success’ in the context of the Central Eastern European (CEE) transition, democratic consolidation and European Union membership. Contributions consider the extent to which external models have had real traction in the political economies and societies of the CEE countries. The book also considers the ways external models were adapted, transformed or sometimes abandoned in response to unexpected difficulties in implementation. It provides critical analysis of the setbacks, real or perceived policy failures, as well as innovations and unexpected outcomes in a number of important policy areas in the ‘new’ member states of the EU. This book will be of interest to policy studies scholars and European Union/European studies scholars. It is also relevant for students of European politics as well as general public policy degree courses at undergraduate and graduate level. Contributors include: D. Adascalitei, A. Batory, A. Cartwright, D. Craciun, S. Domonkos, H. Grabbe, A. Kemmerling, A. Krizsan, K. Makszin, L. Matei, G. Medve-Bálint, B.G. Peters, D. Stone, S. Svensson, A. Tetenyi, S. Torotcoi, V. Zentai

Table of Contents:
Contents: Foreword by Heather Grabbe 1. Trial and Error: Policy Experiments, Failures and Innovations in Central and Eastern Europe Agnes Batory, Andrew Cartwright and Diane Stone 2. When does Policy Diffusion Affect Policy Instability? Cases of Excessive Policy Volatility in Welfare Policies in East Central Europe Achim Kemmerling and Kristin Makszin 3. Learn from thy Neighbor: Emulation and Learning in Eastern European Mandatory Private Pensions Reforms Dragos Adascalitei and Stefan Domonkos 4. Translating Domestic violence norms in five countries of Central Eastern Europe Andrea Krizsan 5. National Roma Inclusion Policies in Central and Eastern Europe: Diverging Learning Paths with Residual Outcomes Violetta Zentai 6. EU cohesion policy and the Eastern member states: A case of transnational policy convergence Gergő Medve-Bálint 7. Euroregions -- Institutional transfer and reinterpreted norms in Central and Eastern Europe Sara Svensson 8. Hungarian international development policy: a case for conflicted success András Tétényi 9. A resounding success or downright failure? Understanding policy transfer within the Bologna Process in Central and Eastern Europe Liviu Matei, Daniela Craciun, Simona Torotcoi 10. Reforming through Borrowing and Learning: Easy, but so Terribly Difficult B. Guy Peters Index