Policy and Complex Systems - Volume 3 Number 1 - Spring 2017
A systematic literature review of studies applying complex systems theory to public policies
Felipe de Oliveira Simoyama , A Flávia Mori Sarti
A typical public policy environment is composed of self-organizing agents , nonlinear interactions and a high level of unpredictability . These features are sufficient to define public policies as complex systems , a field of study that is unfamiliar to most of policy makers and politicians . The purpose of this study is to verify whether complexity tools provide a more robust method for policy formulation and the current state of practical approaches for policymaking . This paper presents a systematic literature review of 35 studies on the use of complexity methods and tools in public policy in a range of issues , which can provide useful insights to guide policy formulation . This study reveals , among other results , that ( a ) there is a strong consensus supporting the use of complex system for modeling public policies ; ( b ) agent-based modeling is preferred over other tools ; ( c ) complex systems have not yet reached policymakers to be put into practice .
Keywords : complex systems , public policy , systematic literature review
A
University of São Paulo , São Paulo
101 doi : 10.18278 / jpcs . 3.1.6