Policy Analysis in Times of Austerity: Puzzling in the Shadow of Powering?

Introduction:
The globalfinancial crisis has created an almost unparalleled process of politicization and policy change. However, has the crisis also been a window of opportunity for policy learning? To put it differently, has policy change been driven by puzzling or by powering? In this second special issue on policy analysis in times of a (perceived) crisis, we address the role of policy analysts and the outcome of their work in times of austerity due to the global financial crisis. What is the impact of the financial and economic circumstances on the application and utilization of policy analysis? What is the added value of arguments and information when the government is running short of funding and time? Does the crisis provide opportunities or obstacles to policy learning? As policy making “entails both intellectual puzzling over what to do under conditions of uncertainty and bounded rationality, and political powering between competing interests” (Heclo1974,pp. 305–306; Hall 1993, p. 289; Hemerijck and Van Kersbergen1999, p. 176) one may question whether policy change, if any, is primarily due to puzzling (policy analysis, policy learning) or rather powering in times of austerity