Evidence Based Policy Making and the Modernisation of British Government

Public Policy and Administration http://ppa.sagepub.com From Muddling Through to Muddling Up - Evidence Based Policy Making and the Modernisation of British Government
Wayne Parsons Public Policy and Administration 2002; 17; 43 DOI: 10.1177/095207670201700304 The online version of this article can be found at: http://ppa.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/3/43

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From Muddling Through to Muddling Up Evidence Based Policy Making and the Modernisation of British Government
Wayne Parsons Queen Mary, University of London

Abstract This article critically reviews the approach to evidence based policy-making (EBPM) advanced in the Labour government 's modernisation agenda. The article contends that EBPM must be understood as a project focused on enhancing the techniques of managing strategic policy-making as opposed to improving the capacities of the social sciences to influence the 'practices of democracy ' as envisaged by Lasswell, or facilitating the kind of systems thinking advocated by Schon and by more recent students of 'complexity '.
Introduction: Social Science and the Task of Improving Policy Making From its beginning the policy sciences movement was concerned about the relationship between knowledge, policy-making and power.

Citations: (this article cites 7 articles hosted on the SAGE Journals Online and HighWire Press platforms): http://ppa.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/17/3/43 Downloaded from http://ppa.sagepub.com by guest on April 12, 2008 © 2002 SAGE Publications and PAC Downloaded from http://ppa.sagepub.com by guest on April 12, 2008 © 2002 SAGE Publications and PAC. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. Public Policy and Administration Volume 17 No. 3 Autumn 2002 Downloaded from http://ppa.sagepub.com by guest on April 12, 2008 © 2002 SAGE Publications and PAC Downloaded from http://ppa.sagepub.com by guest on April 12, 2008 © 2002 SAGE Publications and PAC. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. Public Policy and Administration Volume 17 No. 3 Autumn 2002 Downloaded from http://ppa.sagepub.com by guest on April 12, 2008 © 2002 SAGE Publications and PAC Public Policy and Administration Volume 17 No. 3 Autumn 2002 Downloaded from http://ppa.sagepub.com by guest on April 12, 2008 © 2002 SAGE Publications and PAC Downloaded from http://ppa.sagepub.com by guest on April 12, 2008 © 2002 SAGE Publications and PAC. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. Downloaded from http://ppa.sagepub.com by guest on April 12, 2008 © 2002 SAGE Publications and PAC. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. 49 active participation and reflective learning of those who design and implement specific programmes in specific contexts (Schon and Rein, 1994) Downloaded from http://ppa.sagepub.com by guest on April 12, 2008 © 2002 SAGE Publications and PAC. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. Downloaded from http://ppa.sagepub.com by guest on April 12, 2008 © 2002 SAGE Publications and PAC. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution.