The Key Characteristics Of Lasswell s Policy Orientation

A Literature Review on the Key Characteristics of Lasswell’s Policy Orientation Lasswell’s formation of public policy is founded upon fundamental characteristics that establish the view that policymaking rests on scientific analysis and a practical application, concluding on the necessity of a policy science to understand the full complexities of policy formation. An analysis and discussion of these characteristics can be found in the following academic articles: ‘Revisiting Lasswell’ by James Farr, Jacob S. Hacker and Nicole Kazee, ‘From the old to the new policy design: design thinking beyond markets and collaborative governance’ by Michael Howlett, ‘Policy Dismantling’ by Andrew Jordan, Michael W. Bauer and Christoffer Green-Pedersen, and lastly Nick Turnbull’s ‘Harold lasswell’s â€Å"problem orientation† for the policy sciences’. As per a literature review I will begin by first outlining the defining characteristics of Lasswell’s policy orientation, then providing a s ummary of the four identified articles, after which a comparison and contrast will occur respective to each characteristic outlined. One of the aforementioned characteristics of Lasswell’s policy process is the emphasis on the importance of knowledge, as contextual and a non-neutral activity, encouraging continual and collective participation within the policymaking process. Another significant characteristic is the role of policy scientists, particularly as a social activity, and the problem of