Following the science: pandemic policy making and reasonable worst-case scenarios

Bradley, Richard ORCID: 0000-0003-2184-7844 and Roussos, Joe (2021) Following the science: pandemic policy making and reasonable worst-case scenarios. LSE Public Policy Review, 1 (4). ISSN 2633-4046

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Abstract

The UK has been ‘following the science’ in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in line with the national framework for the use of scientific advice in assessment of risk. We argue that the way in which it does so is unsatisfactory in two important respects. Firstly, pandemic policy making is not based on a comprehensive assessment of policy impacts. And secondly, the focus on reasonable worst-case scenarios as a way of managing uncertainty results in a loss of decision-relevant information and does not provide a coherent basis for policy making.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://ppr.lse.ac.uk/
Additional Information:	© 2021 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
Subjects:	J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General) Q Science > Q Science (General) H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Date Deposited:	07 Mar 2024 13:48
Last Modified:	01 Apr 2024 08:40
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/122237

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