Policy making as organised irresponsibility : the case of public conveniences
By: EDWARDS, Julia
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ArticlePublisher: UK : Policy Press, july. 1998Subject(s): ChinaPolicy & Politics 26, 3, p. 307-320Abstract: When bad effects are produced by a combination of contributory causes, the inability to apportion blame often results in nothing being done to stop their perpetration; instead new policies are devised to treat these bad effects. This is Beck's concept of organised irresponsibility which is here applied to the case of bad effects from local authorities' decisions to close public toilets. In Beck's view, the way to overcome organised irresponsibility is for authorities to organise debates about the safety of their policies before decisions are made. This prescription is explored and contrasted with the way one council closed 62% of its public conveniences
When bad effects are produced by a combination of contributory causes, the inability to apportion blame often results in nothing being done to stop their perpetration; instead new policies are devised to treat these bad effects. This is Beck's concept of organised irresponsibility which is here applied to the case of bad effects from local authorities' decisions to close public toilets. In Beck's view, the way to overcome organised irresponsibility is for authorities to organise debates about the safety of their policies before decisions are made. This prescription is explored and contrasted with the way one council closed 62% of its public conveniences
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