The ISP : SOCIAL SCIENCES OF POLITIC INSTITUTE

The ISP is a public policy research center, studying the policy development within the public sector for example issues of territorial development, opportunities for sport, urban policies, the place of religious groups in the community, justice and public health issues.
Before GAPP, sociology in France had been kept away from research on political science. By 1970s, however sociologists had wanted to become involved in analysing social government policies. It is this that makes for the originality of GAPP, when in 1984, the then director under the auspices of the CNRS, set a new direction in research by making research on public policy a field for sociology. This has continued to be the policy for GAPP up to the present.
Because we think the legal basis in developing policies is especially important, we've made a point of examining how legal policy can affect the success of public administration. Up to then moment, the theoretical and practical dimension to public administration had been kept separate. To show whether these two aspects are being successfully integrated indicates what the government is or is not doing and who exactly is exerting influence on it.
As far as internal organization is concerned, supervisors at GAPP try to aim for a creative environment. Thus a great attention is paid to having a sufficient variety of collaborators available drawn from a wide professional field. Some work full time, others part time or share their teaching with research. Put together, they make for invigorating team work to the benefit of the research results and individual team members.
There are two main strands to the research at GAPP.