Although causal loop diagrams do not provide the level of discipline and rigor exhibited by other structural diagrams — such as stock and flow diagrams, they do seem to present a type of diagram to which many people can relate. They provide a useful tool for giving relatively simple diagrams of the connections and feedbacks in systems.

Archetypes

Systemic structure, as depicted by Causal Loop Diagrams, frequently fall into some standard patterns, referred to as Archetypes. Because systems frequently demonstrate the similar patterns of behavior, archetypes provide a way for diagramming those similar patterns. One such archetype consists of a pattern known as Shifting the Burden.

Systemic structure, as depicted by Causal Loop Diagrams, frequently fall into some standard patterns, referred to as Archetypes.

Shifting the Burden

The Shifting the Burden archetype provides a handy way to describe many of the actions of interventionists.

The center box represents results produced by the system. The box at the bottom represents the systemic structure — the source or root cause of those results. To change the long run pattern of behavior for the system depicted the systemic structure must change.

Because changes in systemic structure generally take a relatively long period of time, interventionists frequently apply "Quick Fixes." The Quick Fixes frequently creates side effects or unintended consequences. Those side effects frequently affect the systemic structure and have a negative effect on long-term performance. They can also create addiction loops in which the system goes from one quick fix to the next, without ever solving the fundamental problem.

We see variations of Shifting the Burden applied frequently by various levels of government.