November 17-19 Hosted byTerry Sanford School of Public PolicyDuke University This year’s Institute theme is Global Policy Challenges: International, Domestic, & Local Responses. The 2022 Annual Institute of the Society of Policy Scientists will convene in person at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, USA. The theme reflects the growing complexity of major challenges to […]
Category: Policy Sciences
The Society of Policy Scientists announces its annual prize competitions for the best policy sciences books, published articles, chapters in books, and student papers. The Society generally awards two prizes for published works, each of which includes a $500 cash award. These awards are named for Harold D. Lasswell and Myres S. McDougal, the founders […]
This year’s Institute theme is Policy Sciences for Complex Problem-Solving.
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What are the policy sciences?
The policy sciences are an approach to understanding and solving problems. Whether the problems are local, regional, international, or planetary, the policy sciences provide an integrated and comprehensive set of procedures for addressing them in ways that help to clarify and secure the common interest. Helping people make better decisions is the central objective of […]
The term “Policy Sciences” was coined by Harold D. Lasswell. In collaboration with many colleagues, in particular Myres S. McDougal, he developed the integrative approach to solving problems and making decisions with which this site is concerned and to which it is dedicated. Lasswell and McDougal were prolific writers, and a sampling of their key […]
The variety of problems and issues to which the policy sciences have been applied is vast. These include local, national, and international questions of governance and development; the achievement of human rights in all contexts; natural resources policy and management; issues of scientific leadership and science policy in general; the impact of intellectuals on public […]
The policy sciences draw on and contribute to all fields of knowledge. The emphasis is on comprehending problems in context in order to develop recommendations that are both realistic and desirable. The content and procedures of many disciplines may be brought constructively to bear on efforts to achieve such results. In this spirit, the policy […]