Methods of Assessing and Enhancing Creativity for Public Policy Decision Making*

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Public policy problems are complex, and complex problems require creative solutions, as Lasswell,

(2000) points out. In the following sections, I will discuss the relevancy of creative thinking for

problem-solving in general, and public policy-making in particular. I will also summarize the

findings of the psychological research on creativity and describe several methods of measuring

and facilitating creativity. Not all aspects of the creative thinking process are known, but

the advances in psychological research have shed some light on it. A general understanding of

the creative thinking process has evolved, and methods have been developed to measure the

creative potentials of individuals and to facilitate their creative thinking.