A critical Discussion of Complexity Theory: How does 'Complexity Thinking' improve our Understanding of Politics and Policymaking?

Authors

  • Paul Cairney Department of History an Politics, University of Stirling
  • Robert Geyer Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20377/cgn-56

Keywords:

Complexity theory, Interdisciplinarity, Policy studies, Democratic accountability, Pragmatism

Abstract

In this article, we present a critical discussion of complexity theory. We ask: what does it really offer policy studies? We suggest that its stated advantages-- interdisciplinarity, theoretical novelty, and empirical advance--are generally exaggerated and based more on hope than experience. In that context, we identify a cautiously positive role for complexity theory, primarily as a way to bridge academic and policymaker discussions by identifying the role of pragmatic responses to complexity in policymaking.

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Published

2017-06-27

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2017)

Section

Articles

License

This journal used a CC BY-SA license 2014-2023 and CC-BY license by default from 2024 onwards. Article authors retain possession of their work under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0) License.