History, Policy And Public Purpose: Historians And Historical Thinking In Government
by Alix R. Green /
2016 / English / PDF
1.7 MB Download
This book takes a fresh look at the connection between history
and policy, proposing that historians rediscover a sense of
‘public purpose’ that can embrace political decision-making – and
also enhance historical practice. Making policy is a complex and
messy affair, calling on many different forms of expertise and
historians have often been reluctant to get involved in policy
advice, with those interested in ‘history in public’ tending to
work with museums, heritage sites, broadcasters and community
organisations. Green notes, however, that historians have also
insisted that ‘history matters’ in public policy debate, and been
critical of politicians’ distortions or neglect of the
past. She argues that it is not possible to have it both
ways.
This book takes a fresh look at the connection between history
and policy, proposing that historians rediscover a sense of
‘public purpose’ that can embrace political decision-making – and
also enhance historical practice. Making policy is a complex and
messy affair, calling on many different forms of expertise and
historians have often been reluctant to get involved in policy
advice, with those interested in ‘history in public’ tending to
work with museums, heritage sites, broadcasters and community
organisations. Green notes, however, that historians have also
insisted that ‘history matters’ in public policy debate, and been
critical of politicians’ distortions or neglect of the
past. She argues that it is not possible to have it both
ways.
