Policy Sciences: Some Global Perspectives.

Self-analysis and self-awareness are one of the essential paradigms of policy sciences [1]. Constant monitoring of the development of policy sciences approaches (never mind their name) in different countries is, therefore, essential. It not only helps to build up a "sociology of policy studies," but permits learning-feedback, and thus guides the advancement of policy sciences during its critical formative periods. Also, comparative exchanges of experience and cross-cultural communication are helpful to building up the profession of policy scientists and providing mutual support for often difficult efforts. To encourage detailed writing and study on the development of policy sciences activities, I want to discuss in this short note some of the main variables which seem to shape the development of policy sciences approaches, with special attention to activities outside the United States. Based on personal impressions and on discussions with colleagues in a number of countries, my analysis is suggestive at best. But it may serve to identify at least some relevant features and thus constitute a starting point for more thorough treatment of the subject within specific contexts by authors active in the advancement of policy sciences in various countries. This note will not discuss institutional features of the growth of policy sciences [2]. Rather, I will discuss a number of variables one by one [3], in no particular order and without trying at this stage to order the variables within an overall model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]