SUMMARY

Virtually all policy problems suffer to one degree or another from analytical intractability. This intractability is defined as the inability of participants in the policy forum to agree on the basic data, concepts and theories relevant to the policy problem at hand. Such rudimentary agreement greatly speeds the process of developing effective policy solutions, though it is not essential--good policy can spring from tempestuous policy arenas, though typically much less quickly. [For more on the issue of analytical tractability, click here.]

The formulation delay of intractable policy derives from the time required to seek agreement on the basics. In the case of highly intractable policy problems, like the health effects of cigarette smoking, solutions are slow to arrive (if at all), and are frequently poorly designed. Basic disagreements about the nature of the problem impede the process of convincing those with policy making power that action must be taken. Even when the need for action is acknowledged, poor understanding of the underlying problem often may lead to solutions that are misdirected or ineffective.

One of the most significant tractability problems in the area of gun control is the variety of definitions of the underlying problem. To some, it is a crime issue--guns are used to commit murder and to rob. To others, it is a public health issue--guns are responsible for tens of thousands of accidental and untimely deaths every year. Still other definitions abound. However, even when two persons agree on what type of problem it is, they can (and do) diverge substantially in their interpretation of available evidence regarding the extent and nature of the problem.

This project is devoted to exploring the problems of the process of formulating gun control policy, and the impact those problems have on the policies which are created. It is divided into five parts:

• The emergence of the problem


• The assessment of the problem


• Decision-making and policy formulation


• Policy Implementation


• Policy Evaluation


• References