A critical discussion of complexity theory : how does 'complexity thinking' improve our understanding of politics and policymaking?

Geyer, Robert Ralph and Cairney, Paul (2017) A critical discussion of complexity theory : how does 'complexity thinking' improve our understanding of politics and policymaking? Complexity, Governance and Networks, 3 (2): 56.

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Abstract

In this article, we present a critical discussion of complexity theory. We ask: what does it really offer policy studies? We suggest that its stated advantages-- interdisciplinarity, theoretical novelty, and empirical advance--are generally exaggerated and based more on hope than experience. In that context, we identify a cautiously positive role for complexity theory, primarily as a way to bridge academic and policymaker discussions by identifying the role of pragmatic responses to complexity in policymaking.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Complexity, Governance and Networks
Additional Information:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Subjects:
?? complexity theorypolicyevidence based policy-makingpragmatism ??
ID Code:
83028
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
25 Nov 2016 10:10
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
31 Dec 2023 00:45