Prof Paul ‘t Hart takes us through the rise of “crisisification” – the strategic use of crisis rhetoric to get policy moving. How is crisis increasingly claimed by politicians, civil society organisations and interest groups? And what does this mean for civil servants, policy-making and the foundations of good governance?
Already nearly 50 years ago, the American political scientist Murray Edelman observed: ‘Any regime that prides itself on its ability to manage crises, will find crises to manage.’ In an era of polycrisis, we see how the call for urgency breaks political taboos and makes the previously unthinkable possible.
What if crisis exploitation becomes the norm? What does this mean for civil service expertise, time horizon and values of good governance?
More on that during Paul ‘t Hart’s keynote at the 25th National Congress of Public Administration!