Thresholds Are Everywhere: A Systems Approach to Public Policy

Abstract The analysis of public policies often fails to account for effects beyond mere cost-benefit analysis. Incorporating elements from the literature on system dynamics, complexity and legitimacy, the present paper develops a framework to understand long-term effects and important constraints for public policies. We call it the thresholds framework, considering the existence of different thresholds in the life of a policy. The framework relies on the application of conceptual lenses to understand essential aspects of the social reality. Using the proposed conceptual repertoire, the paper a...