A Subtle Balance: Expertise, Evidence, And Democracy In Public Policy And Governance, 1970-2010

Synopsis

A Subtle Balance Critically Reflects On Major Trends And Enduring Challenges Over The Last Four Decades Of Public Policy And Governance. During This Time, A Tension Has Existed Between Two Aims For Public Decisions: That They Be Based On The Best Available Evidence And Analysis, And That They Be Fully Democratic. This Period Has Seen A Continuing Drive For More Direct Citizen Engagement In Decision-making And Governments Trying To Address Major Policy Issues Through Novel Consultative And Collaborative Processes. In Essays That Offer Detailed And Novel Insights Into The Recent History Of Specific Issues In Social Policy, Environmental Policy, And Processes Of Policy Advice And Decision-making, Contributors Elaborate On How These Trends Have Played Out In Diverse Areas Of Practice, What Their Consequences Have Been, And How Specific Institutional Reforms Could Reset The Requisite Balance Between Expertise, Evidence, And Democracy In Canadian Public Policy. Public Policy Analysis In Canada : A Forty-year Overview / David Zussman -- Affairs Of The Smart : Will Researchers And Decision-makers Hook-up? / Charles Ungerleider -- Expertise And Evidence In Public Policy : In Defence Of (a Little) Technocracy / Edward A. Parson -- Program Evaluation And Aboriginal Affairs : A History And A Thought Experiment / Ian D. Clark And Harry Swain -- The Canada Pension Plan And Policy Reform : Shifting Spaces For Democratic Deliberation / Michael J. Prince -- Tales Of Quantitative Analysis And Public Policy / Michael Wolfson -- Environmental Issues : Fifty Years Of Change And Current Challenges / Josee Van Eijndhoven -- Climate Engineering : New Challenges For Scientific Assessment And Global Governance / Edward A. Parson And Lia N. Ernst -- Seeing Like A Sound? : Resource Management And Property Rights In Clayoquot Sound / Martin Bunton -- Profits V. Purpose : Hybrid Companies And The Charitable Dollar / Rachel Culley And Jill R. Horwitz -- The Future Of Compute-supported Policy Analysis : Collaboration, Openness, Collective Intelligence, And Competition / Justin Longo -- It's Not My Problem : Personal Moral Responsibility For Policy Advice / John Langford -- What Is An Honest Policy Analyst To Do? / Barry Carin -- Speaking Elusive Truth To Shifting Power : Reflections On Evolving Styles, Changing Views, And New Problems / A. R. Dobell -- A Subtle Balance : Reflection And Synthesis / Edward A. Parson. Edited By Edward A. Parson. This Volume Presents A Review And Critical Assessment Of Major Trends And Themes In Public Policy And Governance In Canada Over The Past Four Decades. It Is A Culmination Of A Three-year Project, Centred On A Symposium Held At The University Of Victoria In The Summer Of 2011. The Symposium Convened An Intensive Dialogue On Policy And Governance Among Thirty Distinguished Participants Of Two Types: Academics Who Conduct Research On Public Policy And Governance, And Sophisticated Practitioners With Long Experience Dealing With Policy And Governance From The Perspective Of Practical Engagement In Real, High-stakes Decisions.--editor's Introduction. This Volume Is Inspired By The Wide-ranging Contributions To Scholarship And Practice Of A.r. (rod) Dobell. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Issued Also In Electronic Format.