The Politics of Modelling : Numbers Between Science and Policy

Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, this edited volume brings together a diverse range of contributions to look beyond the strictly mathematical view of modelling and instead examine the social nature of models, their biases and responsibilities.

Chapter 2, ''Pay no attention to the model behind the curtain'', Chapter 4, ''Mind the hubris: Complexity can misfire'', and Chapter 8, '' Sensitivity auditing: A practical checklist for auditing decision-relevant models'' are published open access and free to read or download from Oxford AcademicThe widespread use of mathematical models for policy-making and its social and political impact are at the core of this book. While the discussion of mathematical modelling generally centres around technical features, use, and type of model, the literature is increasingly acknowledging that the social nature of modelling, its biases and responsibilities, are equally worth investigating. This book tackles these emerging questions by adopting a multidisciplinary approach to investigate how current modelling practices address contemporary challenges, and fills a gap in the field, which has historically focused on statistical and algorithmic modes of producing numbers. Thanks to its multidisciplinary appeal, this book will be essential reading for modellers, public officials, policymakers, and scholars alike.Part of this title is published open access. This part is available to read and download as a PDF on Oxford Academic and is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International licence.