Science and Public Policy

Where does science end and public policy start? The new Handbook on Science and Public Policy, whose editors include WZB researchers Dagmar Simon and Weert Canzler, sheds fresh light on the shifting interaction between science as a policy-driven project and public policy as a scientific venture.

The science-society contract is often fraught with tension:  a balancing act between the societal need for innovation and research and the crucial importance of sustainable and socially acceptable scientific progress. Contributors including leading scholars from the WZB consider the symbiotic relationship between science and public policy on national and international scales. Addressing a need for a comprehensive examination of the fluctuating relationship between policy and science, the newly published Handbook tackles several fundamental questions: What is the current state of science policy and how does it impact on research? What challenges emerge for science in societies that are undergoing rapid change?  Drawing on a range of theoretical and conceptual perspectives, the authors offer insights that will be valuable to students, scholars, and analysts alike.