Long Problems

"This book argues that, just as the "widening" of political problems across national boundaries due to globalization has led to profound shifts in how we understand, study, and approach governance across space, so too does their "lengthening" across time horizons require a fundamental shift in thinking and policy. Social scientists and policy-makers have yet to really appreciate the role that time can play, hampering our ability to find effective solutions. In this book, Thomas Hale explores the implications of "long problems"- those, like climate change, whose proximate causes and effects unfold over relatively long time periods -for politics and governance. Hale starts by defining long problems and then considers the three features that make these issues so challenging: institutional lag, the fact that future generations cannot advocate for their interests in the present, and the difficulty of acting early enough to make a difference. Tackling long problems requires solutions that address these challenges head on, and Hale presents interventions to address each, not just in the abstract but with copious examples of policies that have worked or have failed. The author also considers, more largely, how social science can best study long problems, outlining a research agenda that aims to shift the object of study from the past to the future. In sum, Hale presents a framework and vision for how society can best govern long problems and address complex and profound challenges like climate change"--