I think your final point is part of what I am getting at—that policy doesn’t happen on the basis of good ideas alone, and there is bureaucracy, and there operational, political, and budgetary constraints on what can be done. As such, just suggesting good ideas or compelling arguments to politicians or civil servants isn’t what works, whether as a civil servant or a campaigner. What works is providing neat approaches which work within the system, which use the political, budgetary and operational factors in their favour, and which make your peers look good, perhaps even giving them the chance to claim it as their idea.
There’s huge friction within the system, and you can either see that friction as a barrier, or you can see the friction as the thing that gives you grip, the fixed points that you can use as leverage.
That’s what I mean by policy being the art of the possible.
Whilst people here will be swayed by evidence and logical argument, we risk wasting resources if we act on the assumption that they are sufficient to make impact in the wider world.
Thanks, I have amended title for clarity.
I think your final point is part of what I am getting at—that policy doesn’t happen on the basis of good ideas alone, and there is bureaucracy, and there operational, political, and budgetary constraints on what can be done. As such, just suggesting good ideas or compelling arguments to politicians or civil servants isn’t what works, whether as a civil servant or a campaigner. What works is providing neat approaches which work within the system, which use the political, budgetary and operational factors in their favour, and which make your peers look good, perhaps even giving them the chance to claim it as their idea.
There’s huge friction within the system, and you can either see that friction as a barrier, or you can see the friction as the thing that gives you grip, the fixed points that you can use as leverage.
That’s what I mean by policy being the art of the possible.
Whilst people here will be swayed by evidence and logical argument, we risk wasting resources if we act on the assumption that they are sufficient to make impact in the wider world.