Bryan Jones_Oct20_2011.flv

Human nature is the raw material from which public policies are built. Without a proper understanding of the basics of human cognitive architectures, even the most sophisticated model of policy processes will fail. Moreover, without this understanding, policy designs will be flawed. For the most part, major approaches to public policy processes have adopted a model of human nature based in Herb Simon's concepts of bounded and behavioral rationalities. In his lecture, Bryan Jones will explore the development of these connections, and show how these connections have influenced the development of policy studies. In addition, he will briefly explore their implications for policy design.

Bryan Jones is J.J. "Jake" Pickle Regent's Chair in Congressional Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, and Director of the Policy Agendas Project. His research centers on American public policy processes, including agenda-setting and decision-making. He is author or co-author of ten books, including Agendas and Instability in American Politics (with Frank Baumgartner), and The Politics of Bad Ideas (with Walter Williams). He previously held positions at University of Washington, Texas A&M, and Wayne State University.

JSGS Policy Change Lecture Series: This event is part of the Policy Change Lecture Series organized by the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS). This series features renowned speakers who address questions of change in substantive policy areas and in the manner in which policy is devised and implemented on a wide array of topics.

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Education