International city organizations – middleman in policy transfer or independent policy actor?

Abstract

During the last decades, mankind has experienced unprecedented expansion of globalization. In this respect, the process of policy transfer has emerged as a tool of exchanging ideas, policies and administrative arrangements mostly among states and intergovernmental organizations. The aim of this article is to examine policy transfer in terms of city networks. In doing so, the authors have found and researched almost 70 existing city networks in the world. Using Dolowitz and Marsh’s 2000 framework, the authors have researched the areas in which cities co-operate and the subject matters of such cooperation.