Professor Ian Bache

Department of Politics and International Relations

Professor of Politics

i.bache@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 1678

Modular Teaching Village

Full contact details

Professor Ian Bache
Department of Politics and International Relations
Modular Teaching Village
Northumberland Road
Sheffield
S10 1AJ

Profile

Ian Bache joined the Department as Lecturer in 1999 and became Senior Lecturer in 2003, Reader in 2006 and Professor in 2009. He was University Director of Learning and Teaching for Internationalisation 2011-2014.

Ian had a number of jobs before taking his first degree in Politics and Parliamentary Studies at the University of Leeds, which included work experience in the House of Commons and the US Congress. After his first degree, he worked for the Coalfield Communities Campaign/ European Action for Mining Communities before studying for an MA in International Studies and PhD on the Politics of EU Regional Policy at the University of Sheffield. He completed a part-time MEd in Teaching and Learning at the University of Sheffield in 2004 and received the Senate Award for Sustained Excellence in Learning and Teaching in 2008.

He is Co-Director of the Centre for Wellbeing in Public Policy (CWiPP) at the University of Sheffield and was co-investigator of the Community Wellbeing strand of the What Works Centre for Wellbeing launched in 2015. He was principal investigator and convenor of the ESRC seminar series on The Politics of Wellbeing 2013-15. He serves on the editorial and advisory boards of a number of international journals and has undertaken consultancy for national and international bodies.

In 2014 he was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS).

Research interests

My current research focuses mainly on wellbeing in politics and policy. This includes:

Understanding the rise and significance of a new agenda

Current interest in wellbeing is part of the second of ‘two waves’ of activity since the Second World War, both of which have centred on a critique of GDP as the dominant indicator of societal progress. In this context, my research addresses two questions relating to this second wave:

How and why has the idea of wellbeing risen up the political agenda?
What are the policy implications of this rising interest in the idea of wellbeing?

‘What works’ for wellbeing?

As part of the new What Works Centre for Wellbeing funded by the ESRC, government departments and others to develop a strong and credible evidence base to support organisations seeking to develop policies aimed at improving wellbeing. My research in this area draws on academic and practitioner contributions on the evidence-policy relationship to understand the challenges of bringing wellbeing more squarely into policy.

Wellbeing in politics

The political dimensions of the rise of wellbeing remain relatively unexplored, which has left important theoretical and empirical insights largely absent from debates. This research builds on collaborations developed as Convenor of the ESRC seminar series on The Politics of Wellbeing, which sought to identify the distinctive contribution of the politics discipline and bring this into dialogue with other disciplines and policy-makers.

My previous research includes a number of projects on multi-level governance, most recently on climate change and transport policy

Publications

Books

Bulmer S, Parker O, Bache I, George S & Burns C (2020) Politics in the European Union 5th edition.
Bache I (2020) Evidence, Policy and Wellbeing. Springer International Publishing.
Bache IP & Reardon I (2016) The Politics and Policy of Wellbeing: Understanding the Rise and Significance of a New Agenda. Cheltenham UK: Edward Elgar.
Bache I, Bulmer S, George S & Parker O (2015) Politics in the European Union 4th edition. Oxford University Press, USA.
Bache IP, Bartle I, Flinders M & Marsden G (2015) Multilevel Governance and Climate Change: Insights from Transport Policy. London: Rowman & Littlefield International.
Bache I, George S & Bulmer S (2011) Politics in the European Union 3rd edition. Oxford University Press.
Bache I (2008) Europeanization and Multilevel Governance Cohesion Policy in the European Union and Britain. Rowman & Littlefield.
Bache I & George S (2006) Politics in the European Union 2nd edition. Oxford University Press, USA.
George S & Bache I (2001) Politics in the European Union. Oxford University Press, USA.
Bache I (1998) Politics of European Union Regional Policy Multi-Level Governance Or Flexible Gatekeeping?. A&C Black.

Edited books

Bache I & Scott K (Ed.) (2018) The Politics of Wellbeing Theory, Policy and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
Bache I & Flinders M (Ed.) (2015) Multi-level Governance: Essential Readings Volume II..
Bache I & Flinders M (Ed.) (2015) Multi-level Governance: Essential Readings Volume I..
Bache I & Andreou G (Ed.) (2010) Cohesion Policy and Multi-Level Governance in South East Europe. Routledge.
Bache I & Jordan A (Ed.) (2006) The Europeanization of British Politics. Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Bache I & Flinders M (Ed.) (2004) Multi-level Governance. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Journal articles

Bache I (2019) How Does Evidence Matter? Understanding ‘What Works’ for Wellbeing. Social Indicators Research, 142(3), 1153-1173. View this article in WRRO
Bache I, Reardon L & Anand P (2016) Wellbeing as a Wicked Problem: Navigating the Arguments for the Role of Government. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(3), 893-912.
Bache IP & Reardon L (2015) The wellbeing agenda: Implications for policy. East-West Institute for Advanced Studies Viewpoints Journal, 2. View this article in WRRO
Bache I, Reardon L, Bartle I, Flinders M & Marsden G (2015) Symbolic Meta-Policy: (Not) Tackling Climate Change in the Transport Sector. Political Studies, 63(4), 830-851. View this article in WRRO
Bache I, Bartle I, Flinders M & Marsden G (2015) Blame Games and Climate Change: Accountability, Multi-Level Governance and Carbon Management. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 17(1), 64-88.
Marsden G, Mullen C, Bache I, Bartle I & Flinders M (2014) Carbon reduction and travel behaviour: Discourses, disputes and contradictions in governance. Transport Policy, 35, 71-78.
Bache I, Kane M & Maidment C (2014) Student connections: enhancing interaction in internationalised learning environments. Internationalisation of Higher Education, 3, 107-127.
Marsden G, Ferreira A, Bache I, Flinders M & Bartle I (2014) Muddling through with climate change targets: a multi-level governance perspective on the transport sector. Climate Policy.
Bache I & Reardon L (2013) An Idea Whose Time has Come? Explaining the Rise of Well-Being in British Politics. Political Studies.
Bache IP (2012) Measuring quality of life for public policy: an idea whose time has come? Agenda-setting dynamics in the European Union. Journal of European Public Policy, 20(1), 21-38.
Bache I & Hayton R (2012) Inquiry-based learning and the international student. Teaching in Higher Education, 17(4), 411-423.
Bache I, Andreou G, Atanasova G & Tomsic D (2011) Europeanization and multi-level governance in South-East Europe: The domestic impact of EU cohesion policy and pre-accession aid. Journal of European Public Policy, 18(1), 122-141.
Atanasova G & Bache I (2010) Europeanization and FYR Macedonia: towards a compound polity?. SE EUR BLACK SEA STU, 10(1), 85-96.
Bache I (2010) Building multi-level governance in Southeast Europe?. SE EUR BLACK SEA STU, 10(1), 111-122.
Andreou G & Bache I (2010) Europeanization and multi-level governance in Slovenia. SE EUR BLACK SEA STU, 10(1), 29-43.
Bache I & Tomsic D (2010) Europeanization and nascent multi-level governance in Croatia. SE EUR BLACK SEA STU, 10(1), 71-83.
Bache I (2010) Europeanization and multi-level governance: EU cohesion policy and pre-accession aid in Southeast Europe. SE EUR BLACK SEA STU, 10(1), 1-12.
Bache I (2010) Partnership as an EU Policy Instrument: A Political History. WEST EUR POLIT, 33(1), 58-74.
Bache I & Chapman R (2008) Democracy through multilevel governance? The implementation of the structural funds in South Yorkshire. GOVERNANCE, 21(3), 397-418.
Bache I & Catney P (2008) Embryonic associationalism: New Labour and urban governance. PUBLIC ADMIN, 86(2), 411-428.
Bache I (2006) The Europeanization of higher education: Markets, politics or learning?. JCMS-J COMMON MARK S, 44(2), 231-248.
Bache I & Marshall A (2004) Europeanization and domestic change: a governance approach to institutional adaptation in Britain. Europeanization Online Papers.
Bache I (2004) Book Review: The Engines of European Integration: Delegation, Agency and Agenda Setting in the EU, by Mark Pollack. (OUP, Oxford, 2003). European Foreign Affairs Review, 9(Issue 3), 447-448.
Bache I & Flinders M (2004) Multi-Level Governance and the Study of the British State. Public Policy and Administration, 19(1), 31-51.
Bache I & Bristow G (2003) Devolution and the Gatekeeping Role of the Core Executive: The Struggle for European Funds. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 5(3), 405-427.
Bache I (2003) Governing through governance: Education policy control under new labour. POLIT STUD-LONDON, 51(2), 300-314.
Bache I & Taylor A (2003) The politics of policy resistance: Reconstructing higher education in Kosovo. Journal of Public Policy, 23(3), 279-300. View this article in WRRO
Bache I (2003) Not everything that matters is measurable and not everything that is measurable matters: How and why local education authorities "fail'. LOCAL GOV STUD, 29(4), 76-94.
Bache I & Olsson J (2001) Legitimacy through partnership? EU policy diffusion in Britain and Sweden. SCAND POLIT STUD, 24(3), 215-237.
Bache I (2001) Different seeds in the same plot? Competing models of capitalism and the incomplete contracts of partnership design. PUBLIC ADMIN, 79(2), 337-359.
Bache I (2000) Europeanization and partnership: exploring and explaining variations in policy transfer. Europeanization Online Papers.
Bache I & George S (2000) Britain and the structural funds: the politics of semi-detachment?. Current Politics and Economics of Europe, 9(3), 361-376.
Bache I & Jones R (2000) Has EU regional policy empowered the regions? A study of Spain and the United Kingdom. Regional and Federal Studies, 10(3), 1-20.
Bache I (2000) Government within governance: Network steering in Yorkshire and the Humber. PUBLIC ADMIN, 78(3), 575-592.
Bache I (1999) The extended gatekeeper: central government and the implementation of EC regional policy in the UK. J EUR PUBLIC POLICY, 6(1), 28-45.

Chapters

Bache I (2022) 5 Well-Being in British Politics and Policy, Towards Sustainable Well-Being (pp. 103-120). University of Toronto Press
Bache I (2022) Well-being in British politics and policy, Towards Sustainable Well-Being: Moving beyond GDP in Canada and the World (pp. 103-120).
Bache I (2022) Multi-level governance, Handbook on Theories of Governance (pp. 528-539). Edward Elgar Publishing
Bache I & Scott K (2018) Wellbeing in Politics and Policy, The Politics of Wellbeing (pp. 1-22). Springer International Publishing
Bache I & Reardon L (2016) The ‘Wicked Problem’ of Wellbeing: Theorising the Prospects for Policy Change, Advances in Happiness Research (pp. 23-38). Springer Japan
Bache I & Reardon L (2016) The Politics and Policy of Wellbeing Understanding the Rise and Significance of a New Agenda Conclusions, POLITICS AND POLICY OF WELLBEING: UNDERSTANDING THE RISE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF A NEW AGENDA (pp. 143-159).
Bache I (2015) Cohesion policy: a new direction for new times? In Wallace H, Pollack M & Young A (Ed.), Policy-making in the European Union 7th edition (pp. 243-262). Oxford University Press
Bache I (2015) Measuring Quality of Life—An Idea Whose Time Has Come? Agenda-Setting Dynamics in Britain and the European Union, Happiness Studies Book Series (pp. 197-214). Springer International Publishing
Bache I (2012) Multi-level Governance In Levi-Faur D (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Governance (pp. 628-641). Oxford University Press
Bache I, Bulmer S & Gunay D (2012) Europeanization: A Critical Realist Perspective, Research Design in European Studies (pp. 64-84). Palgrave Macmillan UK
Marsden G, Bache I & Kelly C (2012) A policy perspective on transport and climate change issues, Transport and Sustainability (pp. 197-223).
Bache I & Tomsic D (2011) Croatia In Bache I & Andreou G (Ed.), Cohesion policy and multi-level governance in South East Europe (pp. 68-80). Routledge
Atanasova G & Bache I (2011) FYR Macedonia In Bache I & Andreou G (Ed.), Cohesion policy and multi-level governance in South East Europe (pp. 81-92). Routledge
Bache I (2011) Building multi-level governance in South East Europe In Bache I & Andreou G (Ed.), Cohesion policy and multi-level governance in South East Europe (pp. 107-118). Routledge
Bache I (2011) Europeanization and multi-level governance: EU cohesion policy and pre-accession aid in South East Europe In Bache I & Andreou G (Ed.), Cohesion policy and multi-level governance in South East Europe (pp. 1-12). Routledge
Andreou G & Bache I (2011) Slovenia In Bache I & Andreou G (Ed.), Cohesion policy and multi-level governance in South East Europe (pp. 28-42). Routledge
Bache I (2008) The Legitimacy of England's Regional Development Agencies In Fedar C (Ed.), Regional Development Agencies (pp. 152-187). Istanbul Policy Centre
Bache I & Conzelmann T (2008) EU Structural Funds and Domestic Governance and Policy in Britain, Multi-Level Governance in the European Union: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead (pp. 124-143). Nomos
Bache I (2008) Cohesion Policy, Europeanization (pp. 239-252). Palgrave Macmillan UK
Bache I (2007) Domestic Level Theories In Bevir M (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Governance SAGE Publications, Inc.
Bache I & Nugent N (2007) Europe In Seldon A (Ed.), Blair's Britain, 1997–2007 (pp. 529-550). Cambridge University Press
Bache I (2007) Multilevel Governance In Bevir M (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Governance SAGE Publications, Inc.
Bache I & Jordan A (2006) The Europeanization of British Politics? Comparative Conclusions In Bache I & Jordan A (Ed.), The Europeanization of British Politics (pp. 265-279). Palgrave Macmillan
Bache I (2006) The Politics of Redistribution In Jorgensen K, Pollack M & Rosamond B (Ed.), Handbook of European Union Politics (pp. 395-412). SAGE Publications Ltd
Bache I & Jordan A (2006) Britain in Europe and Europe in Britain, The Europeanization of British Politics (pp. 3-16). Palgrave Macmillan UK
Bache I & Jordan A (2006) Europeanization and Domestic Change, The Europeanization of British Politics (pp. 17-33). Palgrave Macmillan UK
Bache I (2005) Europeanization and multi-level governance In Fedar C (Ed.), Yerel Klkinma Icin Katilimci Strategjic Planlama (pp. 83-91). Istanbul Policy Centre
Bache I (2004) Partnership, participation and urban regeneration: British and EU approaches in theory and practice In Zhejian (Ed.), Strategic management in urban governance World-wide Universities Policy Network
BACHE IAN (2004) Multi-level Governance and European Union Regional Policy, Multi-level Governance (pp. 165-178). Oxford University Press
BACHE IAN & FLINDERS M (2004) Conclusions and Implications, Multi-level Governance (pp. 195-206). Oxford University Press
BACHE IAN & FLINDERS M (2004) Multi-level Governance and British Politics, Multi-level Governance (pp. 93-106). Oxford University Press
BACHE IAN & FLINDERS M (2004) Themes and Issues in Multi-level Governance, Multi-level Governance (pp. 1-12). Oxford University Press
Bache I (2000) The Policies of European Union Regional Policy In Columbus F (Ed.), The Politics and Economics of Europe, Volume III (pp. 210-237). New York: NovaScience.
Bache I & McGillivray D (1997) Testing the extended gatekeeper: the law, practice and politics of implementing the Drinking Water Directive in the United Kingdom In Holder J (Ed.), The Impact of EC Environmental Law in the United Kingdom (pp. 147-165). London: John Wiley and Sons.
Bache I, George S & Rhodes R (1996) Regionalism in a unitary state In Hesse J (Ed.), Regions in Europe 2: The Regional Potential (pp. 57-80). Baden-Baden: Nomos.
Bache I, George S & Rhodes R (1996) The United Kingdom and the Committee of the Regions In Hesse J (Ed.), Regions in Europe 1: The Institutionalisation of the Committee of the Regions (pp. 39-67). Baden-Baden: Nomos.
Bache I, George S & Rhodes R (1996) The European Union, Cohesion Policy and Subnational Authorities in the UK In Hooghe L (Ed.), Cohesion Policy and European Integration (pp. 294-319). Oxford University Press
Bache I, George S & Rhodes R (1996) Policy Networks and Policy-Making in the European Union In Hooghe L (Ed.), Cohesion Policy and European Integration (pp. 367-387). Oxford University Press
George S, Bache I & Rhodes R (1995) The Committee of the Regions: The Case of the UK In Hesse J, Rhodes R & Toonen T (Ed.), The European Yearbook of Comparative Government and Public Administration 1994 (pp. 113-134). Baden-Baden: Nomos.

Book reviews

Bache I (2013) Measuring wellbeing: Towards sustainability. Planning Theory & Practice, 14(3), 425-426.
Bache I (2012) Handbook on Multi-level Governance. POLITICAL STUDIES REVIEW, 10(1), 134-135.
Bache I (2007) Europeanization and regionalization in the EU's enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe: The myth of conditionality. PUBLIC ADMIN, 85(1), 231-233.
Bache I (2006) Universities and the Europe of knowledge: Ideas, institutions and policy entrepreneurship in European Union Higher Education Policy, 1955-2005. JCMS-J COMMON MARK S, 44(2), 448-449.
Bache I (2002) Multi-level governance and European integration. J COMMON MARK STUD, 40(3), 537-538.
Bache I (2001) Regions in Europe.. COMMON MKT LAW REV, 38(6), 1605-1606.

Research group: I am Co-Convenor of the Governance and Policy Research Group in the Department of Politics.

Teaching activities

I use a range of activities within my teaching to appeal to students with different learning styles and to engage students from different backgrounds. This includes group work, debates, presentations and posters. I am keen to promote independent and inquiry-based learning (IBL) and have conducted research on IBL and international students.

I am also a strong believer that research should not only inform teaching but that teaching can also inform research. Where relevant I include my research papers in progress on my modules so that students can engage with scholarship as it is developing and my research can be shaped by their engagement. The citation for my Senate Award in 2008 began: ‘Ian is an outstanding teacher, facilitator of learning, researcher, mentor and advisor. He has been deeply committed to the development of learning and teaching and over a considerable period of time and has played a key role in the development of highly innovative teaching and learning practices…’.

As the University’s Director of Learning and Teaching for Internationalisation (2011-14) my role was to develop and embed the University’s policy of seeking to place the understanding and ambition of staff and students in an international context. Our aims were to give our students the best opportunity of competing for jobs in the widest market possible (global employability) and to promote awareness of international issues and interconnectedness, whether economic, environmental, social etc. (global citizenship).

I am co-author of a leading Oxford University Press textbook on Politics in the European Union, which has a number of distinctive pedagogic features both in the book and within the accompanying online resource centre, including an interactive map, interactive timeline, multiple-choice questions and a flashcard glossary. I have a number of other teaching-related publications, including on Internalisation of Learning and Teaching Across the Student Journey.

I am module leader for the final year undergraduate module on Politics and the Quality of Life and an MA module on Wellbeing in Politics and Policy, both of which explore conceptual, empirical and policy-related aspects of the ideas of quality of life, wellbeing and happiness. I am also module leader on the MA module on Analysing the Policy Process, which examines different ‘stages;’ of the policy processes and explores key analytical approaches to understanding contemporary policy-making.

Professional activities and memberships

Book Series Editor, Wellbeing in Politics and Policy, Palgrave Macmillan
Co-editor, Centre for Wellbeing in Public Policy (CWiPP) Working Papers Series
Member, ESRC Peer Review College

Supervision Expertise: I have supervised 14 PhD students to completion as first supervisor (and nine more as second supervisor). I am particularly keen to supervise in areas relating to wellbeing and quality of life.