The Persistent Shadow of Bad Public Policy
In their timely and thought-provoking work Bad Public Policy: Malignity, Volatility, and the Inherent Vices of Policy-Making, authors Michael Howlett, Ching Leong, and Tim Legrand explore the underexamined but increasingly urgent subject of why and how public policies fail. Published as part of the Elements in Public Policy series by Cambridge University Press, the book argues that much of the dominant policy science has been too optimistic in assuming that public officials act in good faith, citizens respond rationally, and institutions function transparently. In reality, many policies fall victim to what the authors term the “darkside” of policy-making—an arena plagued by inherent risks such as malign intent, non-compliance, and political volatility.
The central thesis of the book is that policy failures are not merely the result of insufficient resources or capacity constraints, but often stem from deeper structural and behavioral pathologies. These include deliberate exclusion of key stakeholders, manipulation of data, rent-seeking behavior, and a growing disregard for democratic norms. The authors push back against what they call the “Panglossian” tradition in policy studies, a reference to the philosopher in Voltaire’s Candide who insists that all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. They argue that policy theorists and practitioners must abandon this naive optimism and instead develop tools and frameworks to grapple with the messier, more volatile realities of modern governance.
A key innovation in the book is its conceptualization of “policy vices,” or inherent flaws in the policy process. These vices include uncertainty, malicious intent, lack of preparedness, failure to learn from past mistakes, and widespread non-compliance by policy targets. Far from being anomalies, these vices are endemic to public policy and must be acknowledged. The authors note that these factors can be present in all types of governance systems, whether democratic or authoritarian, but are especially insidious when they occur under the guise of liberal democracy, where the public assumes that its interests are being fairly represented.
The book also challenges the prevailing orientation of policy design theory, which often emphasizes technical efficiency and ignores the normative dimensions of governance. Howlett, Leong, and Legrand call for a re-centering of democratic values such as transparency, inclusion, and legitimacy in the design and evaluation of public policy. They argue that without a moral compass, policy tools can just as easily serve destructive ends as constructive ones. Drawing on real-world examples such as post-9/11 security overreach, financial deregulation leading to the 2008 crash, and pandemic mismanagement, the authors illustrate how policies that appear rational on the surface can mask darker intentions or fail spectacularly due to ignored internal risks.
Importantly, the authors also propose a way forward. Rather than retreating into cynicism, they advocate for the institutionalization of procedural safeguards—such as foresight mechanisms, independent evaluations, and participatory governance models—that can mitigate the inherent risks in policy-making. By treating policy design not as a static technical exercise but as a dynamic and often contested process, they offer a more realistic and actionable vision of how to improve public policy in an increasingly complex world.
Bad Public Policy is not just a critique; it is a clarion call to rethink the foundations of policy science. It insists that the discipline must take seriously the ethical, political, and behavioral dimensions of governance if it is to remain relevant in the face of growing illiberalism, populism, and systemic risk. By identifying and naming the malign forces that can derail even the most well-intentioned policies, Howlett, Leong, and Legrand offer scholars and practitioners a framework for both diagnosis and reform.
This blog post is based on the publication Bad Public Policy: Malignity, Volatility, and the Inherent Vices of Policy-Making by Michael Howlett, Ching Leong, and Tim Legrand (Cambridge University Press, 2025). For full access, visit Cambridge Core. The summary above reflects an interpretation of the original material and is provided for informational purposes only. No guarantee is made as to the accuracy of the content, and nothing herein should be construed as legal advice.
