Policy Making and Implementation in Times of Crisis from a Public Governance Perspective: The cases of Cyprus, Greece, Ireland and Portugal

Abstract

This article considers the role and contribution of the governance systems and institutional structures in the four countries of interest and how these systems and structures responded to the most recent economic and financial crisis. It first presents briefly the type and mix of policies these countries adopted and implemented in their attempt to alleviate the adverse effects of the economic and financial crisis of 2008. It then assesses whether the quality of governance systems and institutional structures played a role in the degree to which the mix of policies adopted and implemented were successful. It appears that the policy responses to the crisis may have been strongly influenced by the state of sophistication of institutional structures and quality of governance systems in place at the start, and throughout the crisis.