During the golden years of keynesian economics and the welfare state, multiple states relied strongly on planning offices and bureaus (such as France''s Commissariat General du Plan) to develop and advance policies that required long-term investments and thinking. However, in line with the demise of kenesianism and the increasing politicisation of the civil service, such agencies have either been dismantled or re-organised with far less important mandates. This has resulted in a shift in power away from civil servants, who tend to have a long-term view of policies, to political appointees who are far more concerned with current policy developments. However, the need to think and act beyond electoral mandates remains present. Inspired by various long-term planning models developed in management, economics and urban planning, this paper discusses how these can be applied in political science and public administration. These models are then assessed via a comparative analysis of long-term planning in Canadian provinces.
