The Value of Systems Thinking for and in Regulatory Governance: An Evidence Synthesis

Abstract

Systems thinking has often been suggested (and sometimes been applied) to improve the development and implementation of regulation (“regulatory governance”). But what are the pros and cons of this approach to regulatory governance? Following the logic of meta-research, a systematic and replicable process of synthesizing research findings across a body of original research, this article presents an evidence synthesis of academic literature on systems thinking for and in regulatory governance. Through a staged approach, an initial body of 757 articles are analyzed. The article presents the main findings from the evidence synthesis, presents the gaps in our knowledge, and suggests a future agenda for research on systems thinking for and in regulatory governance.