Introduction
In this concluding chapter we put together findings from all the chapters of the book and elaborate on them. This is meant not as a mere summary of particular chapters but as a ‘meta-view’ on the findings. We, as editors, did our best to include authors from different backgrounds, worldviews and experience. We have provided them with the basic idea, purpose and structure of the book. They were, however, completely free in developing and elaborating their personal views.
Honestly, we were a bit afraid of getting too many disconnected and contradicting ideas with no general message. To our relief and surprise, that did not happen. Though there are certainly points where different authors disagree, we were astonished by several recurrent topics and ideas that different authors felt were important to stress. For instance, without any prompting from us, several authors chose to either describe or analyse the government's National Economic Council (NERV). This is not because it is the dominant and most powerful advisory institution. Instead, for many, it is the quintessence of the prevailing mode of policy advice, emphasising efficiency, economic rationality and a technocratic approach.
Another recurring topic was the traditional personal link between academia and policy. Several authors stressed that many influential politicians, and almost all historically important figures, had their origins in academia. From T.G. Masaryk, E. Beneš, A. Rašín to V. Havel, V. Klaus, M. Zeman and P. Fiala. All of them were or have been established scholars and/or intellectuals who decided to enter politics at a particular point in their lives.
This concluding chapter is structured as follows. First, we summarise the distinctive features of Czech policy analysis as compared to other countries, especially Germany (as a European country with a distinctive policy analysis tradition and our neighbour) and the United States (as a cradle of traditional policy analysis). Second, we discuss how different factors, including the polity and institutions, might explain the idiosyncrasies of Czech policy analysis. We conclude with possible prospects of policy analysis in the country.
The distinctive nature of Czech policy analysis
Similar to other countries, interest in public policy in general and policy analysis in particular can be related to the political and socioeconomic conditions and development of social sciences in the second half of the twentieth century.