ABSTRACT

Quite independent from the tremendous achievements of modern states in historic perspective (Deutsch 1981) and from past and continuous suc­ cesses in handling acute problems (Levitan and Taggart 1976; Romasco 1983; J. Schwarz 1983), such as terrorism (B. Bell 1978; Dror 1983b; E. Evans 1979; J. Lodge 1981), a main feature of contemporary policymaking is growing awareness of bleak problems, though often superficially per­ ceived and deficiently diagnosed, both in establishments (Pollard 1981) and in academic work (as illustrated by parts of Amin et al. 1982; Bourne and Levin 1983; Cornford 1975; Cotgrove 1982; Goerner 1971; Inglehart 1977b, and in most of the so-called social problems texts, e.g. DeFleur 1983; not to speak about dogmatic misperceptions in doctrinaire writings, such as Chomsky and E. Herman 1979). Adversity is somehow perceived and a variety of responses do take place.