Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Norms in Technology pp 67–82Cite as

Policy Objectives and the Functions of Transport Systems

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

  • 968 Accesses

Part of the book series: Philosophy of Engineering and Technology ((POET,volume 9))

Abstract

The general purpose of this chapter is to identify lessons learned from policy objectives and to relate these lessons to key areas from modern philosophical literature. This chapter more specifically focuses on the Swedish transport policy objectives, which provide unusually clear illustrations of the problems involved in managing large and complex policy areas. The analysis aspires to highlight these problems. The Swedish transport policy objectives can be compared with international transport policy objectives as well as with objectives from other policy areas, suggesting that this specific case has certain features of general interest.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The Swedish transport policy objectives and its predecessors are presented in the governmental bills prop. 1963:191, prop. 1978/79:99, prop. 1987/88:50, prop. 1996/97:137, 1997/98:56, prop. 2001/02:20, and prop. 2008/09:93.

  2. 2.

    In Swedish: tillfredsställande transportförsörjning till lägsta möjliga kostnader.

  3. 3.

    “Impact objective” is the government’s own translation of the Swedish compound term hänsynsmål, literally meaning “heed objective”.

  4. 4.

    An overview of the transport policies of selected European nations is provided in report 2008:2 of the Swedish Institute for Communication Analysis. The Directions for Traffic Policy and Development published by the Finnish Ministry of Communications, the 2009 Autumn Performance Report of the UK Department for Transport, the Australian National Transport Policy Framework, and the South African White Paper on National Transport Policy are examples of publications providing comprehensive overviews of individual nations’ transport policies. An overview of the transport policy of the European Commission can be found on, for example, the website of the DG for Energy and Transport.

  5. 5.

    A comprehensive review of the recognized problems associated with the last version of the Swedish transport policy goals, and suggested improvements to mitigate these problems, was provided in reports 2008:2 and 2008:3 of the Swedish Institute for Communication Analysis. Some of these issues were recognized earlier and elaborated, for example, in reports 2000:1, 2000:5, and 2002:20 of the same organization.

  6. 6.

    In Swedish transport policy, gender equality and regional development is part of the functional goal.

References

  • Amara, R.C. 1972. Toward a framework for national goals and policy research. Policy Sciences 3: 59–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avelino, F. 2009. Empowerment and the challenge of applying transition management to ongoing projects. Policy Sciences 42: 369–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brundtland Commission (World Commission on Environment and Development). 1987. Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cingranelli, D.L., R.I. Hofferbert, and E.A. Ziegenhagen. 1980. Goal evolution through implementation: The problem for policy evaluation. Policy Studies Journal 8(7): 1229–1238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, J., and R. Dogan. 2004. The conduct of policy analysis: Philosophical points of reference. Review of Policy Research 21(4): 559–579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dye, T.R. 2008. Understanding public policy, 12th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edvardsson, K., and S.O. Hansson. 2003. When is a goal rational? Social Choice and Welfare 24(2): 343–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elvik, R. 1999. Can injury prevention efforts go too far? Reflections on some possible implications of Vision Zero for road accident fatalities. Accident Analysis and Prevention 31(3): 265–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, R. 2009. Vision Zero – Implementing a policy for traffic safety. Safety Science 47: 826–831.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kern, F., and M. Howlett. 2009. Implementing transition management as policy reforms: A case study of the Dutch energy sector. Policy Sciences 42: 391–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuruvilla, S., and P. Dorstewitz. 2010. There is no ‘point’ in decision-making: A model of transactive rationality for public policy and administration. Policy Sciences. 43(3): 263–287. Available at www.springerlink.com/content/gp23hw6754p10511

  • Larsson, P., S.W.A. Dekker, and C. Tingvall. 2010. The need for a systems theory approach to road safety. Safety Science 48: 1167–1174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagel, S.S. 1984. A bibliography on goals, means, and methods in public policy analysis. Policy Studies Journal 12(4): 777–778.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, W. 1995. Public policy: An introduction to the theory and practice of policy analysis. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinch, T.J., and W.E. Bijker. 1987. The social construction of facts and artifacts: Or how the sociology of science and the sociology of technology might benefit each other. In The social construction of technological systems, ed. W.E. Bijker, T.P. Hughes, and T.J. Pinch, 17–50. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawson, G.E. 1980. Organizational goals and their impact on the policy implementation process. Policy Studies Journal 8(7): 1109–1118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosencrantz, H. 2008. Properties of goal systems: Consistency, conflict, and coherence. Studia Logica 82: 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosencrantz, H. 2009. Goal-setting and the logic of transport policy decisions. Royal Institute of Technology, PhD thesis, Stockholm.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosencrantz, H., K. Edvardsson, and S.O. Hansson. 2007. Vision Zero – Is it irrational? Transportation research part A: Policy and practice 41: 559–567.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabatier, P.A. (ed.). 1999. Theories of the policy process. Boulder: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Said, K.E. 1974. A policy-selection/goal-formulation model for public systems. Policy Sciences 5: 89–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tudela, A., N. Akiki, and R. Cisternas. 2006. Comparing the output cost benefit and multi-criteria analysis – An application to urban transport investments. Transportation Research Part A 40: 414–423.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voβ, J.-P., A. Smith, and J. Grin. 2009. Designing long-term policy: Rethinking transition management. Policy Sciences 42: 275–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

    Holger Rosencrantz

Authors
  1. Holger Rosencrantz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Holger Rosencrantz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Industrial engineering & Innovation sc., Philosophy & Ethics, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, Eindhoven, 5612 AZ, Netherlands

    Marc J. de Vries

  2. Div. Philosophy, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Teknikringen 78 B, Stockholm, 100 44, Sweden

    Sven Ove Hansson

  3. , Philosophy, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

    Anthonie W.M. Meijers

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Rosencrantz, H. (2013). Policy Objectives and the Functions of Transport Systems. In: de Vries, M., Hansson, S., Meijers, A. (eds) Norms in Technology. Philosophy of Engineering and Technology, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5243-6_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation