Michael Lissack of a decision landscape. The implications of this belief are what have led me to the assertion of the architectural model for policy making. What happens if we view government policy making as architecture? Although government policies are not buildings or cities and policy makers are not architects, this chapter argues that architecture is an illuminat- ing metaphor. Note that our modern cities are only possible because man learned to separate two components of buildings -- the outside appearance and the critical elements bearing load. This began with the flying buttresses of the Gothic and continues with the steel superstructure and glass curtain walls of the modern skyscraper. This same lesson could be learned by policy makers. The equivalent of the glass curtain wall can be the publicly per- ceived measure of a policy while its true load is borne by some external force -- the equivalent of the flying buttress -- or some purely internal unseen force -- the steel superstructure. Just as it is impossible to build beyond a twelve or so story height with only the apparent structure carrying the full load -- it is impossible to conceive of meaningful policy that the media and public can reduce to a sound bite that actually can carry the full load of its intentions. Communication is the contractor to a decisionmaker's architect. A con- tractor simply follows the agreed-upon blueprints. The architect, on the other hand, not only has to oversee the blueprint drawings but work with the contractors, subcontractors, and clients to make sure that there's a shared understanding of what the project is all about. Using their clients and con- tractors as media for discovery, the best architects create environments that satisfy everyone-their own vision of building; the clients' image of a home; and the contractor's grasp of materials and building techniques. Perfect information is always far from available. Therefore, when judge- ments have to be made, they are often obliged to be intuitive. Working hy- potheses are the nutrition of good executives, sustaining them as they seek to suspend final judgement until necessarily obliged to close off options. The same feature is true of the best scientific thinking, which recognizes that the truth of any scientific proposition can never be completely demon- strated. emphasizing opportunistic thinking which 'is: a responding to op- portunities, including the suddenly unexpected ones; developing ideas and
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