Philosophy

In Webers decisionist model, it focuses on values and interests as primary means in making policy decisions. His model signifies that policy makers chooses the ends by adopting political values and interests significant in the policy decisions. However, there is another player involved in finalizing policy decisions and that is a group of advisors and officials focusing on understanding technical knowledge and judgements. This indicates that while policy makers determines the end goal of policies, there is another group of experts that studies the facts related to political choices in order to determine the means in achieving the goals. With this pattern, policy decisions are developed and made. A criticism of this policy, however, is the positivist and a technocratic perspective wherein it argues that policy makers cannot choose the ends without first knowing the facts because policy makers may be ignorant of the risks and benefits needed to be assessed and managed.

The second model is the technocratic model, which is based only on sound science. This model indicates that policy making is a science. In making policies, scientific considerations are an important factor, as well as, expert advices that bases decisions on grounded knowledge and scientific facts. Uncertainties are rejected in making policy decisions. This indicates that only through science can policies be justified and created in order to become effective. Criticisms of this model includes science being incomplete, equivocal and uncertain. Science is always changing as there are many discoveries and new information and knowledge that comes up as the years go by. Also, science is not entirely grounded and unified as there are different scientific explanations that may contradict each other. With this, it creates uncertainties even through facts.

The red boob decisionist model explains that science is a tool that assesses risks, values, interests and practicalities is used in risk management and social science is needed in communicating the risks. With this, the original decisionist model that focuses on values and interests has been developed to include science and social science in assessing, managing and communicating the risks that creating policies face.

The final model is the co-dynamic model, which explains that there are reciprocal links between science and policy. This means that science and policy have a relationship wherein policies use science and science uses policies in order to be effective and efficient. Also, this model indicates that one aspect, which is science, cannot define the entirety of the policy making decisions. Socio-economic, political and technical factors should be considered in assessing and managing risks involved in policy decisions.

Of the four models presented, I like the co-dynamic model the best since it indicates that policy decisions need to consider not only science but other aspects of the social sphere, such as technical, political and socio-economic. Science cannot be the sole basis of policy decisions, whether assessing risks in defining means to reach the end goal of the policy. It is important to look into other facets or aspects of the social and political sphere in order to make a well-rounded decision. I believe that this model will result to a well-informed decision as it takes into account the associations and relationships, impacts and influences between socio-economic, political and technical factors. I agree with the circular perspective that the model gives indicating that decisions are to be made when all aspects have been researched and analyzed.