The Transactional Trajectories of Policy Solutions How French Government Domesticated the Shale Gas Problem and Its Owners

ABSTRACT The article examines the development of three successive policy proposals for shale gas exploration in France, highlighting the transactional trajectories of each. Using a policy transactional perspective, it demonstrates how policy solutions are shaped by both definition and appropriation. Policy proposals emerge through the redefinition of the problem they address, with this process also assigning roles and identities to various actors, casting them as victims, culprits, or heroes within a causal narrative. This definitional work is further influenced by the appropriation (or lack thereof) of key allies. As such, each proposal reflects a sense of ownership. The rules of appropriation differ depending on the primary debate space in which the proposal is developed. This variation accounts for why some policymakers can adapt their positions, while others cannot.