Policy is continuity.

Policy is continuity.

The direction that policies could take is vast, unlimited variables could be considered depending on the particular context and issue to be addressed, but there is an element that remains untouched, lusty whenever a decision is to be made, continuity. Continuity is the tool that has been thought in this set of readings. Achieving continuity is perhaps the ultimate goal of any given policy, regardless the field of work or the party that will be deciding. Decisions are made to last. In other, strategic words, good decisions will last for all the time required to support or achieve the initial goal. Let us think in any administration managing any issue, say, environmental depletion; this problem jeopardizes the continuity of the administration in question, if they are not capable of confronting the complication another administration will be appointed (by the people, by private regimes, etc. ) proper policies are based on its faculty to solve and give continuity to the decision process. It is at the same time complicated to understand the inception of that process, here is a hypothesis though; in a sociological framework, decisions to be made must contain a degree of diligence for the commons, any policy that manifests from those decisions are, in origin aiming to the continuity of the society that is formulating those policies. Whatever the policy a society will establish, it must contain this prime component.

If we could use this idea as a theory, it would be a very slippery road to cross a point.

Lets use an example, military conflicts, war. The decision of going to war based on domestic policies is making possible the continuity of the society to be engaged in war? Dichotomizing the answer, in one hand it could be established that it is absolutely imperative for this society to survive, to fight a war that is threatening the most elemental conditions for continuing to be a society. Thus, yes continuity again will be the base of the decision. In the other hand it also could be established that there is no reason whatsoever to put people in danger and to spend resources, that will eventually be needed for this society to continue existing, then no it is not utterly necessary for this society to take part in a military conflict. We could use diplomacy. That is another decision, another type of policy. It is right here where the question rises, when policies formulated, what are the reasons why we decide in to any given direction?

Hypothesis number 2. A very clear distinction must be made between the nature and the condition of a policy. War could be fought, for example, agains smaller countries to grant access to resources, that could never be absent, otherwise society could not continue to produce and survive the way they currently do. That is the nature of the policy, it represent continuity per se. However, and consequential to the core, the condition of the policy signifies the actual course of the decisions. As an exercise using this theoretical framework, let us track back to landmark decisions, in the history of a society. Spain during the conquer of the Americas: the nature of the policy to grant money to expeditions overseas was to explore and to find resources for the Spanish crown, the condition of subsequent decisions such as the evangelization and eventual extermination of indigenous peoples was purely a condition established by the Spanish crown to accomplish the fundamental goal of the original policy. Was a bad idea to travel overseas to explore and find resources? No; if we bear in mind that, in gesture of anticipatory governance the Spanish administration knew that in due curse, more resources could be needed, thus in order to survive, the Spanish society (in this period of time represented by the king) decided to provide continuity to the Spanish commons.

The nature of policy is as important as the condition of the policy. The nature of most policies in a rational sense, must aim towards continuity and survival of the group, or even as an individual, i.e. having a personal policy to quit smoking during weekdays and only smoke marihuana on Sunday, because of the desire of a healthier life. The nature of the policy is positive, aims to virtue, the conditions for that are another story, a very important one to understand the way we decide and reasons behind those decisions.