Democracy and Expertise

Reorienting Policy Inquiry

Frank Fischer author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press

Published:12th Mar '09

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Democracy and Expertise cover

This book examines the role of policy expertise in a democratic society. From the perspectives of both political theory and policy studies, the chapters explore the implications of deliberative democratic governance for professional expertise and extends them to specific policy practices. Following the 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 , policy inquiry is grounded in a postempiricist, constructivist understanding of inquiry and knowledge and the participatory practices that support it. Toward this end, 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 in political theory, 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.

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 *

ISBN: 9780199282838

Dimensions: 241mm x 163mm x 25mm

Weight: 686g

352 pages