Creating and Applying Thought Experiments in Public Administration

Abstract

This article expands the dialogue on the use of thought experiments as a strategy of inquiry in public administration. Literature on scientific and philosophical thought experiments is presented, and a genre of thought experiment, the utopic thought experiment, is created with the discipline of public administration in mind. The purpose of the utopic thought experiment is for a researcher to challenge his or her own assumptions regarding a problem found in public administration. The utopic thought experiment draws on works in the thought experiment, utopian literary, and public administration fields. An example of a utopic thought experiment is provided in which the Federal Reserve is given constitutional status. The steps used to create the thought experiment are provided and a major criticism of the use of thought experiments generally is discussed. The article supports the use of thought experiments as a strategy of inquiry in public administration.