Can Administrative Capacity Address Wicked Problems? Evidence From the Frontlines of the American Opioid Crisis

Abstract

What is the link between administrative capacity and wicked problems? Previous literature links capacity to standardized performance outputs, but little is known on the link between capacity and highly complex policy settings. This study examines health outcomes of the opioid crisis—a wicked problem with interdependencies across different drugs with multiple legal and illegal pathways for abuse and dependence. If capacity matters for wicked problems, administrative action should decompose the larger wicked problem into smaller, more achievable solutions. The findings suggest that administrative capacity may allow public organizations to simultaneously manage drug outcomes across the legal and illegal market.