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Knowing the Future: Theories of Time in Policy Analysis
Author(s) -
Strassheim Holger
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
european policy analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.558
H-Index - 12
ISSN - 2380-6567
DOI - 10.18278/epa.2.1.9
Subject(s) - politics , rationality , action (physics) , positive economics , political action , value (mathematics) , epistemology , power (physics) , political methodology , sociology , policy analysis , political philosophy , economics , political science , systems theory in political science , law , computer science , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics , machine learning
The article gives a comparative and critical overview on theories of time in policy analysis. It is based on two central assumptions: First, the various ways time is conceptualized in policy analysis are closely related to underlying understandings of politics and political action. Theories of time are also always political theories. Debating time is thus not only of analytic value. It also has large implications on how power, rationality, and collectivity are related to each other. Secondly, theories of time as political theories can be highly influential in practice. When they find their way into policymaking, they may realign the time horizons and temporal orders of political action.