Policy Assemblages and Policy Resilience: Lessons for Non-Design from Evolutionary Governance Theory
Evolutionary governance theory (EGT) provides a basis for holistically analyzing the shifting contexts and dynamics of policymaking in settings with functional differentiation and complex subsystems. Policy assemblages, as mixes of policy tools and goals, are an appropriate unit of analysis for EGT...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cogitatio
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Politics and Governance |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/4170 |
| _version_ | 1828372021540552704 |
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| author | Kris Hartley Michael Howlett |
| author_facet | Kris Hartley Michael Howlett |
| author_sort | Kris Hartley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Evolutionary governance theory (EGT) provides a basis for holistically analyzing the shifting contexts and dynamics of policymaking in settings with functional differentiation and complex subsystems. Policy assemblages, as mixes of policy tools and goals, are an appropriate unit of analysis for EGT because they embody the theory’s emphasis on co-evolving elements within policy systems. In rational practice, policymakers design policies within assemblages by establishing objectives, collecting information, comparing options, strategizing implementation, and selecting instruments. However, as EGT implies, this logical progression does not always materialize so tidily—some policies emerge from carefully considered blueprints while others evolve from muddled processes, laissez faire happenstance, or happy accident. Products of the latter often include loosely steered, unmoored, and ‘non-designed’ path dependencies that confound linear logic and are understudied in the policy literature. There exists the need for a more intricate analytical vocabulary to describe this underexplored ‘chaotic’ end of the policy design spectrum, as conjuring images of ‘muddles’ or ‘messes’ has exhausted its usefulness. This article introduces a novel metaphor for non-design—the bird nest—to bring studies of policy design and non-design into lexical harmony. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T06:57:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b6dac58f4bd5493db4fb1424732913cd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2183-2463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T06:57:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Politics and Governance |
| spelling | doaj.art-b6dac58f4bd5493db4fb1424732913cd2022-12-22T02:06:50ZengCogitatioPolitics and Governance2183-24632021-06-019245145910.17645/pag.v9i2.41702042Policy Assemblages and Policy Resilience: Lessons for Non-Design from Evolutionary Governance TheoryKris Hartley0Michael Howlett1Department of Asian and Policy Studies, Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R.Department of Political Science, Simon Fraser University, CanadaEvolutionary governance theory (EGT) provides a basis for holistically analyzing the shifting contexts and dynamics of policymaking in settings with functional differentiation and complex subsystems. Policy assemblages, as mixes of policy tools and goals, are an appropriate unit of analysis for EGT because they embody the theory’s emphasis on co-evolving elements within policy systems. In rational practice, policymakers design policies within assemblages by establishing objectives, collecting information, comparing options, strategizing implementation, and selecting instruments. However, as EGT implies, this logical progression does not always materialize so tidily—some policies emerge from carefully considered blueprints while others evolve from muddled processes, laissez faire happenstance, or happy accident. Products of the latter often include loosely steered, unmoored, and ‘non-designed’ path dependencies that confound linear logic and are understudied in the policy literature. There exists the need for a more intricate analytical vocabulary to describe this underexplored ‘chaotic’ end of the policy design spectrum, as conjuring images of ‘muddles’ or ‘messes’ has exhausted its usefulness. This article introduces a novel metaphor for non-design—the bird nest—to bring studies of policy design and non-design into lexical harmony.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/4170evolutionary governance theorypolicy assemblagespolicy designpolicy instrumentspolicy metaphorspolicy mixespolicy non-designpublic policy |
| spellingShingle | Kris Hartley Michael Howlett Policy Assemblages and Policy Resilience: Lessons for Non-Design from Evolutionary Governance Theory Politics and Governance evolutionary governance theory policy assemblages policy design policy instruments policy metaphors policy mixes policy non-design public policy |
| title | Policy Assemblages and Policy Resilience: Lessons for Non-Design from Evolutionary Governance Theory |
| title_full | Policy Assemblages and Policy Resilience: Lessons for Non-Design from Evolutionary Governance Theory |
| title_fullStr | Policy Assemblages and Policy Resilience: Lessons for Non-Design from Evolutionary Governance Theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Policy Assemblages and Policy Resilience: Lessons for Non-Design from Evolutionary Governance Theory |
| title_short | Policy Assemblages and Policy Resilience: Lessons for Non-Design from Evolutionary Governance Theory |
| title_sort | policy assemblages and policy resilience lessons for non design from evolutionary governance theory |
| topic | evolutionary governance theory policy assemblages policy design policy instruments policy metaphors policy mixes policy non-design public policy |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/4170 |
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