He characterises the former as the assessment of all possible options against a comprehensive statement of objectives or values and the latter as a more pragmatic and continual exercise of considering typically modest adjustments to the policy direction by asking whether they would constitute an improvement on the status quo. What would these giants make of the events of the last six years involving the rise of Uber in the international sphere of urban transport? Would they, as some current commentators, be counselling more extensive regulation to keep the organisation in check? Or might they argue the opposite, that innovation needs to be allowed to flourish and can only do so if unfettered? We will later use as our reference the work of Lindblom and, in particular, his contraposition of “scientific analysis” and incrementalism. Notable figures are Herbert Simon, who introduced the concept of bounded rationality, Lindblom who spoke of “muddling through”, and Easton who attempted to apply a more formal structure to the policy analysis process. The rich discipline of Public Policy has produced a profusion of models and theories designed to explain the process of policy making and governance more generally and to provide guidance to those seeking to improve on past practice. The analysis enables some findings concerning how authorities can prepare for the “next” Uber: these include working on preparedness (by conducting futures work, for example) on standing arrangements (such as insisting on an open data model) and on responding to the entry of a challenging provider or service, through the use of experimental legislation. The case of Uber provides useful insights concerning technological innovation and disruption, but more important is the company’s business model. Uber’s entry into the delivery of statutory services is identified as a particularly striking development.
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Uber’s tenacious and highly competitive approach to building markets is identified as a significant challenge to authorities and the limited power they have over Uber (beyond simply refusing access) is acknowledged.
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The history of Uber’s interaction with local and national governments is surveyed to provide a case study for the wider issue of the governance of private-sector involvement, technological innovation and disruption in the mobility sector.