Scientific advice and public policy: expert advisers

ISSN： 1615-6609

Source： Poiesis & Praxis, Vol.6, Iss.3-4, 2009-08, pp. : 235-263

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Abstract

This article reports on considerable variety and diversity among discourses on their own jobs of boundary workers of several major Dutch institutes for science-based policy advice. Except for enlightenment, all types of boundary arrangements/work in the Wittrock-typology (Social knowledge and public policy: eight models of interaction. In: Wagner P (ed) Social sciences and modern states: national experiences and theoretical crossroads. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1991) do occur. `Divergers' experience a gap between science and politics/policymaking; and it is their self-evident task to act as a bridge. They spread over four discourses: `rational facilitators', `knowledge brokers', `megapolicy strategists', and `policy analysts'. Others aspire to `convergence'; they believe science and politics ought to be natural allies in preparing collective decisions. But `policy advisors' excepted, `postnormalists' and `deliberative proceduralists' find this very hard to achieve.