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Facts, lies, science, and policy

In: The Crisis of Governance

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Abstract

Governance requires data, governance requires facts. Good governance does not occur in an environment of untruth and denial of facts of all kinds. Governance is about reality, about facts and about science. Governance without facts is likely to be personalist, random, based on whim, fantasy and falsehood. Recent years have seen a resurgence of wishful thinking, of populism, of conspiracy theories, of 'alternative' facts that ignore science, data and probability. This does pose obvious difficulties for societies as facts, data and even the scientific method informing policy are under threat from ideas without empirical support. The patrimonial or authoritarian leader may make edicts, rules or pronouncements based on no facts, no science or no logic and have them carried out. Alternative facts and outright lies that openly ignore science, data and probability, pose obvious difficulties for governance.

Suggested Citation

  • ., 2023. "Facts, lies, science, and policy," Chapters, in: The Crisis of Governance, chapter 4, pages 59-81, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:elg:eechap:19578_4
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