The Pathology of Public Policy

Governments, like people, suffer in various ways when their internal functions go awry. But, unlike medical pathology, there is no recognized system of classification for the malfunctioning of policymaking. Building on the analogy between the human body and the body politic, this intriguing study uses the language of medical pathology to investigate the disorders some governments suffer in making and implementing public policy. Seven categories of pathologies are discussed--from congenital disorders and delusions to obesity and terminal illness--in light of the dynamics of the disease process, diagnosis and suggested treatment, and the potential dangers of the treatment itself. In comparing policy anaysts with doctors, the authors are careful to emphasize those features of the medical profession that should be avoided, as well as those to be cultivated, by policymakers.