isa, where is the center of the networka, what is the structural equivalence of the networka, and how many clicks there are." However, Dowding (1995) suggests and John (1998) agrees that the end result of this kind of analysis is often little more than could be deduced by common sense.
John (1998) offered a number of criticisms of the network approach despite the wide application with which it is credited. The metaphor of networks as sources of policy is easy to adopt as an organizing framework, but the political arena itself is an extremely broad and deep set of intimate relationships. Using this metaphor therefore leads in many instances to the realization that there are so many inputs into the policymaking process that it is difficult at best to determine what specific actors or initiatives are responsible for a particular policy.
Another criticism described by John (1998) is that this approach does not provide an account of institutions and the state because networks tend to circumvent the more formal as
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