449 Policy & Politics • vol 45 • no 3 • 449–66 • © Policy Press 2017 • #PPjnl @policy_politics Print ISSN 0305 5736 • Online ISSN 1470 8442 • https://doi.org/10.1332/030557316X14556289470900 Accepted for publication 18 August 2016 • First published online 27 October 2016 Lifting the ban on Dutch brothels: do local social needs and local political demands matter for municipal prostitution policies? Wouter Jans, w.jans@utwente.nl Bas Denters, s.a.h.denters@utwente.nl Ariana Need, a.need@utwente.nl Minna van Gerven, minna.vangerven@utwente.nl Institute for Innovation and Governance Studies (IGS), Netherlands This article examines to what extent Dutch municipalities have adapted new local prostitution regulations to local needs and demands following decentralisation in 2000. We examined the extent to which a national template is locally adapted, and which factors inspired such adaptations. We found that many municipalities extensively copied the regulatory template developed by the Dutch Association of Municipalities. Our analyses show that – unexpectedly and contrary to popular arguments on the merits of decentralisation – local needs and demands played no major role in explaining local policy-adaptations. Political fragmentation and size-related municipal resources however do explain differences in local adaptations. key words policy adaptation • decentralisation • prostitution policy • local government To cite this article: Wouters, J, Denters, B, need, A, van Gerven, M (2017) Lifting the ban on Dutch brothels: do local social needs and local political demands matter for municipal prostitution policies?, Policy & Politics, vol 45, no 3, 449–66, DOI: 10.1332/030557316X14556289470900 Background and research questions In the academic literature the idea is widespread that decentralisation would provide ‘a fertile ground for innovation and experimentation’ (Beetham, 1996, 38; see also, Füglister, 2011; Karch, 2007a;Volden, 2006). Responding to a ‘diversity of situation and needs between diferent localities’ (Beetham 1996, 38) municipalities, on the basis of their knowledge of local conditions (genius of place) would tailor programmes to local social needs and political demands, thereby contributing to increased policy efectiveness. In the politico-administrative world of ‘ministers and mandarins’ (Pollitt and Bouckaert, 2004, 87; Denters, 2005) rather similar arguments have provided the rationale for recent trends towards decentralisation in many countries of the western world. The underlying assumption here is that subnational governments will use their discretion to develop new programmes that ft specifc local social needs and political article Delivered by Ingenta IP : 91.204.14.228 On: Mon, 25 Jun 2018 19:51:47 Copyright The Policy Press