Does voluntary cooperation in member state implementation require top‐down steering? The case of regional policy in Switzerland
研究瑞士联邦制下，州级政府在实施区域发展政策时自愿合作的条件，发现横向合作面临制度约束，需要更多自上而下的引导。
Abstract This article studies the institutional conditions that facilitate voluntary member state cooperation in the implementation of regional development policy in Switzerland. Cooperation is crucial for the implementation of regional development policies given that functional perimeters do generally not coincide with institutional borders. Research on the governance of horizontal interorganizational cooperation often focuses on local entities and institutionalized networks, we examine the voluntary cooperation of higher‐tier subnational entities. We apply the institutional collective action framework to the implementation of a regional policy in highly federalist Switzerland where subnational entities have considerable discretionary power. The empirical analysis of comprehensive data on implemented development projects and a survey of all responsible subnational actors show that cooperation between higher‐tier subnational entities faces strong institutional constraints. We conclude that more top‐down guidance is necessary when horizontal cooperation is a condition for policy success.