Public policy as a practice: Reflection inspired by Alasdair MacIntyre's after virtue

Sudarshan, Ramaswamy (2017) Public policy as a practice: Reflection inspired by Alasdair MacIntyre's after virtue. In: Public policy making in a globalized world: Revised edition. Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 107-119. ISBN 9780203712429; 9781138095533

[thumbnail of 143887695.pdf] Text
143887695.pdf - Published Version
Restricted to Repository staff only

Download (772kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

This paper attempts to relate the pedagogy of public policy to the concept of practice articulated by Alasdair MacIntyre. It first discusses the challenges of establishing public policy as a discipline in India, where it has been long assumed that only those employed in government need to acquire skills and knowledge essential for policy formulation. It was also assumed that, by definition, all policies made by the government must be in the interest of the public. This assumption is being challenged in recent times, opening up the possibility of fashioning a pedagogy for public policy that could make the subject meaningful to a variety of practitioners besides those serving in the government. In the quest for a philosophy of public policy as a practice, this essay examines an understanding of external and internal goods, the role of virtues, and limitations of economics, a dominant discipline in public policy schools. This contribution further underlines the importance of public policy practitioners connecting with the public, whose interests and concerns provide the raison d’être for the practice of public policy. The paper concludes by raising a paradoxical possibility that while public policy can be a practice as defined by MacIntyre, teaching public policy may not be a practice.

Item Type: Book Section
Subjects: Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Public Policy
JGU School/Centre: Jindal School of Government and Public Policy
Depositing User: Amees Mohammad
Date Deposited: 28 Jan 2022 16:43
Last Modified: 07 Sep 2022 08:52
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199480654.003.0017
URI: https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/936

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Actions (login required)

View Item
View Item