Complexity and Public Policy

This book provides a clear, concise and readable introduction to complexity thinking, its application to the social sciences and public policy, and the relevance of some of its various tools to those fields of politics, health, the international realm, development, planning and terrorism. The authors argue that the foundation for many of the current crises in these areas can be traced to the attempt by social scientists and policy-makers to treat these systems and processes as fundamentally orderly, predictable and controllable. By providing an overview of complex systems, a practical introduction to basic concepts and tools of these systems, and examples for understanding and managing them in real life policy situations they provide an exciting new perspective for rethinking our basic approaches to the social sciences and for understanding and managing the increasingly interdependent world of public policy. The book is vital reading for students and scholars of the social sciences and public policy, and also policymakers and the policy actor audience.

Robert Geyer is Professor of Politics, Complexity and Policy at the Department of Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University, UK. Dr Samir Rihani is Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool, UK and is Non-Executive Director of the Liverpool Primary Care Trust, UK.

Preface. Introduction 1. From Orderly to Complexity Science and Public Policy 2. Concepts of Complexity 3. Tools of Complexity 4. Politics 5. Health 6. The International Realm 7. Development 8. Planning Dreams into Nightmares: The Iraq Adventure 9. Exploding the Myths of Terrorism 10. Conclusion: Towards a Complex and Humane Public Policy for the 21st Century