Discuss the roles that an understanding causation and having sufficient information about a policy area have in successful implementation of policy. Provide an example when these elements were lacking and the consequences that resulted.

What will be an ideal response?

The highest probability of effective implementation occurs with both sufficient information about the policy areas and adequate knowledge of the problems. Effective implementation is unlikely to occur with inadequate knowledge and poor theory of causation. A somewhat better probability for successful implementation exists when there is knowledge about the patterns of causation as opposed to general information about the problem. If underlying processes are understood, it may be more possible to formulate policy responses based on available information, no matter how poor that information is. When there is inadequate information, policy responses tend to involve and excessive amount of reaction. If the underlying processes are not understood, government has little hope of effective implementation. In such circumstances, government ends up treating the symptoms rather than finding a cure to the problem. Students can discuss the War on Poverty or the Strategic Defense Initiative as examples of this issue.