Social Network Analysis of Regional Policy Making in the Northern Great Plain Region of Hungary

This report presents findings of a social network analysis of regional policy making in the Northern Great Plain region of Hungary. This area provides an interesting case for examining the type of policy networks that have produced current regional development priorities and policies in Europe. The report provides demographic, economic, and development data, information on the political climate and patterns of interest intermediation/representation, and an overview of development problems. Then, the social network analysis of the regional policy network is introduced. The report identifies the various public and private actors involved, analysing structure of the institutional networks considering, amongst other things, the density of the ties within the network, the prestige and significance of certain actors, and actor roles within distribution of connections. Tourism is a particularly important element of regional policy making and development and the relative willingness of public actors to get involved opens the regional network up for more sustained input from a wide range of non-state actors.