The goal of IF is to promote thoughtful consideration of a wide range of contrasting conceptual possibilities for public policy in our selected areas of public policy concern. We try to achieve this goal by conducting in depth ‘sanctuary’ discussions with panels of...
The task of social science is to provide true causal explanations of our most pressing social problems. And when social science works this way—taking into account competing hypotheses about the causes of our social problems, and testing them against all the...
Someone once said that sarcasm is the weapon of the weak. The same can be said of ridicule. This is why people often resort to them when they disagree with something that someone has said, but are unable to explain why it is mistaken. Unless they are nasty by...
Fifteen years ago, while I was conducting a series of round-table discussions on open society among university professors in Uzbekistan, one of them did something that has remained in my mind to this day---even though I have long forgotten what she actually said....
Once you have a basic understanding of the policy possibility, the reasoning behind it, and whether and to what extent it is likely to work, the final step is to decide whether and to what extent you support it. Thus far we have focused a lot upon trying to...
Ekaterine 'Keke' Bakaradze is Associate Professor of Law and Education Quality Assurance Manager at International Black Sea University in Tbilisi, Georgia. She was also a participant in the 50-Hour Training Course in the IF Discussion Process that IF Fellows Mark...
Alkida Hasaj is a Lector in the Tourism Department at the University of Shkodra ‘Luigj Gurakuqi’ in Albania. She was also a participant in the 50-Hour Training Course in the IF Discussion Process that IF Fellows Mark Notturno and Ieva Notturno conducted in...
Once you have a basic understanding of the policy possibility and the reasoning behind it----what it says and why it says it----the next step is to ask yourself whether and to what extent it is likely to address the concerns that motivate it in a way that is...
Alkida Hasaj is a Lector in the Tourism Department at the University of Shkodra 'Luigj Gurakuqi' in Albania. She was also a participant in the 50-Hour Training Course in the IF Discussion Process that IF Fellows Mark Notturno and Ieva Notturno conducted in...
Marsel Kalemi is a lecturer in International Business and Marketing at the Military University “Scanderbeg” in Tirana, Albania. He was also a participant in the 50-Hour Training Course in the IF Discussion Process that IF Fellows Mark Notturno and Ieva Notturno...