Epistemology and Public Administration: A Trial-and-Error Approach

This chapter inspired above all on the Popperian scientific method to argue that the most effective way to understand human action—and, by extension, the decisions of political or administrative institutions—relies on the principles of causality, rationality, and falsifiability. I will examine why these three essential methodological tools can be considered complementary in establishing an epistemological paradigm that elevates scientific standards in the social sciences. In the final part of this chapter, I will analyze a case study: Sabino Cassese’s explanation of specific dysfunctions in Italian public administration. The implicit epistemology underlying Cassese’s analysis will be reconstructed, showing how his approach employs a Popperian model founded on the principles of causality, rationality, and falsifiability.