Dear Participant,
We have now nearly seven weeks to the Young Economic
Policy Designers workshop. As you may recall the workshop is merely about
macroeconomic policymaking and policymaking requires a sound theoretical
knowledge. We are so lucky that you have been receiving that in your
universities. Upon the standard curricula of your departments, now it is the
time to build a common knowledge base for all participants. Otherwise it might
not be that easy to foster cooperation among workshop participants. In the
following lines we will start working on it. Please note that this is not a
homework as you are not considered to be a student in Yep-D. Fulfilling the
requirements of this information pack is not optional, on the other hand, as we
will all need to have a common vocabulary on July 23rd and 24th.
You are now invited to devote the next two weeks to
refreshing your knowledge on the following. You can use any respectable
resource like your earlier textbooks, encyclopedias, handbooks, lecture notes
or web pages of respected institutions. Homework sites or ordinary blogs might
not be a wise choice. Remember that internationally renowned textbooks are the
best tie-breakers when two different resources deliver different information on
the same thing.
Let’s begin with policy. Obtain a formal definition
of policy and rewrite it in your own words. In a way, you are expected to have
your own definition. Once you are done with this, you can start elaborating the
definition of policymaking.
We believe design is an integral dimension of
policymaking. Some may argue against that view, yet a design perspective is mostly
useful to a holistic understanding. By the way, what does holistic mean?
It is often said that good analysis is essential for
reliable synthesis. So, what is analysis? What is synthesis? Do you think
synthesis is in connotation with design? How can analysis be good? What is
reliability? What is the meaning of Garbage In Garbage Out?
Can somebody develop useful policies in the absence
of sound/scientific knowledge? Do you agree with the view that policymaking is
more of an art rather than science?
Have you ever heard about the Ockham’s Razor
(sometimes written as Occam’s Razor) or any philosophical razor principle? Have
you heard about the principle of parsimony? While building a model or writing
down a project report, your professors often say Keep It Small and Simple (or
Keep It Stupid Simple). Do you observe any parallels among the key terms mentioned
in this paragraph?
You have possibly heard about Jan Tinbergen, famous
scientist, policymaker and Nobel laureate. Indeed, he visited Turkey in 1960s
and contributed to founding of the State Planning Organization. Please go ahead
and read about him. At one point, you will encounter and read about the
Tinbergen Rule. What does the Tinbergen Rule say? Is it a strict rule or more
of a principle? We believe you will somehow benefit the rule during Yep-D, do
you agree?
Anything written on this page is open to inquiry so
we avoided highlighting or underlining words, terms or phrases. Please feel
free to research and inquire.
Your turn now.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.