The Art of Judgment: Policy-Making Research

Author: [UK] Vince
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: This book is a classic academic work in the field of public administration and public management. It is the result of a reflective examination of the thoughts in the field of public management in the mid-20th century. It offers insightful and profound analysis of the formulation of public policy, particularly the formation of judgments. Vince argues that judgment formation is a behavior of all individuals, a kind of mental skill. The process of policy-making and judgment formation is also the process of applying mental skills such as evaluation, prediction, innovation, and the establishment of evaluation systems. Judgment is not only the recognition of facts but also the assessment of the ethical and political values implied in those facts. Therefore, judgment is divided into factual judgment, value judgment, and instrumental judgment. Judgment and decision-making are institutional processes, reflected in the growth, development, and policy-making behavior of institutions. The activities of mental skills and social processes are indivisible and merge within a social network platform that shares common information, values, and expectations. Different types of institutions and systems have varying impacts on policy-making, and different contexts also impose different requirements on judgment and policy-making. Describing, analyzing, and understanding the processes of judgment and decision-making in different institutions, contexts, and systems is the field this book aims to explore.