The Power of Scientific Knowledge: From Research to Public Policy

It is often said that knowledge is power, but more often than not relevant knowledge is not used when political decisions are made. This book examines how political decisions relate to scientific knowledge and what factors determine the success of scientific research in influencing policy. The authors take a comparative and historical perspective and refer to well-known theoretical frameworks, but the focus of the book is on three case studies: the discourse of racism, Keynesianism and climate change. These cases cover a number of countries and different time periods. In all three the authors see a close link between 'knowledge producers' and political decision makers, but show that the effectiveness of the policies varies dramatically. This book will be of interest to scientists, decision makers and scholars alike.

Reiner Grundmann is Chair of Science and Technology Studies at the University of Nottingham. He has published in journals such as New Left Review, The British Journal of Sociology, Current Sociology, the Journal of Classical Sociology, Science, Technology and Human Values, and Public Understanding of Science. His book publications include Marxism and Ecology (1991), Transnational Environmental Policy (2001) and Experts: The Knowledge and Power of Expertise (with Nico Stehr, 2011).

Nico Stehr is Karl Mannheim Professor of Cultural Studies at the Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen, Germany and Director of the European Centre for Sustainability Research at his university. His recent publications include: Who owns Knowledge: Knowledge and the Law with Bernd Weiler (2008), Knowledge and Democracy (2008), Society: Critical Concepts in Sociology with Reiner Grundmann (2008), Climate and Society with Hans von Storch (2010) and Experts: The Knowledge and Power of Expertise with Reiner Grundmann (2011).