Issue avoidance

In contrast to the evasion of issues, which denies their significance and seeks to prevent recognition of them, issue avoidance uses various acceptable procedural devices and loopholes in order to avoid having to deal with problems. Such devices may include postponement of consideration to a later date, requests for more information or for the opinion of qualified experts, and claims that the matter is the responsibility of some other body. Use of such loopholes may not be perceived as strictly ethical, but can be easily justified on grounds of precedence and pragmatism. It constitutes tolerable behaviour which does not easily serve as an extended focus of public criticism.