Cross-country comparative analysis and case study of institutions for future generations

Abstract

While references to sustainability have become a centrepiece of both political campaigns and actual policy-making, the long-term future and its citizens have traditionally not been a primary concern of political decision makers. Nonetheless, a small group of countries have experimented with institutions that are intended to act as guardians for future generations. To evaluate their relative success and draw conclusions about best-practice examples, this study examines and compares these approaches. To this end, a literature review was conducted to first identify the status quo and the problems that are caused by the tendency in politics to have a bias for the present and to discount the future. This was followed by a comparative analysis (using a multifactor model based on criteria suggested by the literature) of countries that have introduced institutions dedicated to the consideration of Future Generations. The most promising instance that emerged from this comparative analysis was then more closely examined through a case study, investigating its ability to overcome political presentism by evaluating both successes and shortcomings. The findings suggest that institutions for future generations are partially able to address the problems of political presentism, but their success depends largely on structural conditions such as the power they hold and their resistance to politicisation.