Research on policy network formation has contributed to an understanding of the patterns of interaction among political actors. Belief homophily, power seeking, and opportunity structures provide explanations studied for specific policy areas. This study tests these established theories in a different environment by asking: What drives policy network formation at the local level? From a review of the literature on policy networks and local politics, the study derives nine hypotheses, which are tested for a German municipality. Information and coordination networks have been collected among its councilors through an online survey. The study identifies the drivers of their formation utilizing exponential random graph models. Findings support the effects of party membership and perceived influence. They also point to the tendency of councilors to coordinate with the mayor and they emphasize local councils as an influential opportunity structure specific to local networks.

中文翻译：

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德国地方层面的政策网络模式

对政策网络形成的研究有助于理解政治行动者之间的互动模式。信仰同质性、权力寻求和机会结构为特定政策领域提供了解释。本研究通过询问以下问题在不同的环境中检验这些既定理论：是什么推动了地方层面的政策网络形成？通过对政策网络和地方政治文献的回顾，该研究得出了九个假设，并针对德国城市进行了测试。通过在线调查在其议员中收集了信息和协调网络。该研究利用指数随机图模型确定了其形成的驱动因素。调查结果支持党员身份和感知影响的影响。