The power of knowledge: The importance of scientific policy advice

What forms of knowledge are relevant for political decisions? How can expert knowledge influence policy - is this even possible? Rational-modernized societies, including the countries of the European Union, consider it particularly important that decisions affecting large sections of the population are supported by expert opinions. Experts and science have a much better reputation than politics: while politics represents interests, it is up to the supposedly objective expert knowledge to ensure neutral, i.e. non-interest-led decisions. This book examines the role of expert knowledge in eight EU countries. The case studies from the EU research project "Knowledge and Policy" prove that politics cannot work in any other formats than political ones: This means that scientific knowledge cannot directly influence political decisions, as both politics and science speak a different "language". It is only possible for external knowledge to be processed for political purposes via detours and several intermediary bodies.

Autorentext
Dr. Alma Mira Demszky is a sociologist with a research focus on education, lifestyle, social systems, social inequality and ethnic minorities. Following research projects at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Chemnitz University of Technology, she currently teaches at the Eszterhazy Károly University of Gyöngyös, Hungary.