Democracy And Expertise: Reorienting Policy Inquiry - Softcover

Fischer, Frank

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199565244 ISBN 13: 9780199565245

Publisher: Oxford University Press, U.S.A., 2009

Synopsis

This book explores the role of policy expertise in a democratic society. From the perspectives of political science and policy theory, the chapters examine the implications of deliberative democratic governance for professional expertise and extends them to specific policy practices. Following the earlier lead of John Dewey, the discussion focuses in particular on the ways professional practices might be reoriented to assist citizens in understanding and discussing the complex policy issues of an advanced technological society. In doing so, it also explores how public deliberation can be improved through more cooperative forms of policy inquiry. Adopting a deliberative-analytic approach to policy inquiry, grounded in a postempiricist, constructivist understanding of inquiry and knowledge and the participatory practices that support such an approach, the chapters draw on thriving theoretical and practical work dedicated to revitalizing the citizen's role in both civil society and newer practices of democratic governance-in particular deliberative democracy, practical work with deliberative experiments, the theory and practices of democratic governance, and participatory research. Deliberative practices are promoted here as a new component part of policy-related disciplines required for participatory governance. Calling for a specialization of "policy epistemics" to advance such practices, the second half of the book takes up issues related to deliberative empowerment, including the relation of technical and social knowledge, the interpretive dimensions of social meaning and multiple realities, the role of narrative knowledge and storylines, policy inquiry, social learning, tacit knowledge, the design of discursive spaces, and the place of emotional expression in public deliberation.

About this title

Review:

Today, the literature of deliberative and democratic theory is significant. Frank Fischer's recent book is innovative, exploring social epistemology as its key issue... This impressive work accurately illuminates the insights of a policy analyst moving into discursive, interpretive, narrative, or argumentative-based approaches... This book provides a good basis for engaging a critical debate about the interpretive research agenda, organized through seminars and networks that has spanned over two decades... Readers will certainly appreciate the author's effort in scrutinizing examples of literature throughout the book, and hence the discovering and rediscovering of authors, perspectives, and articles... I recommend that one read Democracy & Expertise precisely for this reason, namely, its vibrant ability to reinvigorate ways of thinking and stimulate new avenues as well. (Fabrizio Cantelli, The American Review of Public Administration)

About the Author:

Professor Fischer teaches Political Science at Rutgers University and is a member of the University's E. J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. He also teaches environmental policy and policy analysis at the Center for Global Change and Governance at Rutgers and is a senior faculty research fellow in the program in global political economy University of Kassel in Germany. His research interests center around American politics and public policy (domestic and foreign policy), environmental politics and policy (US and global), policy analysis, public administration and planning, theory, and methods of the social sciences, comparative public policy, science and technology policy, democratic political theory, and the theory of the state.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press, U.S.A.
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0199565244
• ISBN 13: 9780199565245
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352