It's about time: policy time

Abstract

This article evaluates time perception in public policy by developing and characterising the concept of 'policy time'. Research in time-related public policy literature portrays two main trends: (1) the pragmatic trend Á short-term policy based on a pre-determined schedule as opposed to response-oriented policy; and (2) the normative trend Á long-term policy inspired by 'the voice of the future' and/or by 'public interest values' and/or by 'avoiding uncertainty'. This article offers a different approach to policy time management: instead of dealing with long-term policy vs. short-term policy it suggests juxtaposing 'tactical policy time' and 'strategic policy time'. Tactical policy time is defined as 'taking a specific time-related plan or action aimed at achieving a defined policy result'. Strategic policy time is defined as 'taking a specific time-related plan or action with the aim of coping better with uncertainty in the future'. The concepts of tactical policy time and strategic policy time allow us to characterise 'policy time' as 'timerelated planning or action aiming to achieve a defined policy result and/or to cope better with an uncertain future. The application of these concepts is investigated in the context of centreÁperiphery relations.

Time Policies for a Sustainable Society

“…In a democracy, future generations "without a voice" should therefore be represented by a focus on the long-term (Jørgensen and Bozeman 2007). Moshe (2010) proposes an additional dichotomy, namely between "tactical" and "strategic" policy time (ibid., p. 320, emphasis mine): tactical policy time means "taking a specific time-related plan or action aimed at achieving a defined policy result", which can be used for both the long- and short-term and also ad hoc, whereas strategic policy time means "taking a specific time-related plan or action with the aim of coping better with the uncertainties of the future".…”

The neglected dimension: bringing time back into cross-national policy transfer studies

“…In this latter perspective, one can focus on timetables, time rules, time budgets and other associated conditions that structure political terms and exchanges (see also Linz 1998). Also within this second perspective, one can think about time 'strategies', that is the way in which political/administrative actors try to 'manage temporal restraints' (see also Moshe 2010). This includes questions of 'duration, tempo, timing, sequencing, rhythm', all of which are 'susceptible to strategic calculation and variation' and are 'key variables in everyday struggles for power and policies' (p. 10, see also Schmitter and Santiso 1998).…”