Abstract

Contemporary society has grown increasingly dependent on the integration of knowledge for decision-making. In this context, systemic modeling is acknowledged as a straightforward tool for representing and analyzing complex problems. To address how systemic modeling is being conducted to guide and support public policymaking, this study offers a brief synthesis of the literature on systemic modeling oriented to help public policy decision-making. The results are compared to three principles for good systemic modeling to support public policy, established by the authors: the model must a) be readable and manageable -to a basic level- by nonexperts, b) require as little quantitative data as possible, and c) not generate spurious or ambiguous readings of their content or their outputs. To identify modeling patterns the models were subjected to a content analysis under eleven different categories. To depict the possible co-occurrence of these analyzed categories in order to describe different types of modeling, a multiple correspondence analysis was performed. We found different modeling patterns with a marked trend to use system modeling as a performative device to let emerging cognitively a new entity, the structure of a complex problem. Regarding our proposal for modeling public policy problems, it can be said that the modeling strategies that fit better with the proposed principles are those that were identified as qualitative and oriented to public policy.