Historically Thinking Thinking Historically: Francis J. Gavin on What History Can Do for Policymakers...and the Rest of Us
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Sep 3, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Francis J. Gavin, a professor at Johns Hopkins and author of several influential books, delves into how history can significantly enhance public policy. He highlights the necessity for a historical sensibility that nurtures curiosity and humility, helping policymakers navigate complex modern challenges. Gavin argues for the importance of understanding diverse cultural contexts and advocates for bridging the communication gap between historians and decision-makers. His insights reveal how historical narratives can inform contemporary strategy, even in high-stakes geopolitical scenarios.
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Teaching Policy Through Historical Simulations
- Francis J. Gavin taught policy students with historical case studies, using LBJ Library materials and crisis simulations to mirror decision-making.
- He found the 9/11 aftermath showed such exercises might have changed questions policymakers asked.
What Historical Sensibility Means
- Historical sensibility is a temperament that welcomes contingency, multiple perspectives, and humility.
- Gavin argues this temperament is necessary but not sufficient for making concrete policy choices.
History's Methodological Plurality
- History lacks a single shared methodology, unlike many social sciences, which creates both richness and confusion.
- Gavin's book aims to bridge that temperament to practical questions policymakers face.
