Legislative science advice in Europe: the case for international comparative research
Legislative science advice in Europe: the case for international comparative research
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欧洲立法科学建议：国际比较研究案例
作者：
C. Kenny;C. Washbourne;Chris Tyler;J. Blackstock
本文介绍了民选立法机构中的科学咨询结构；尽管对民主社会的健康运作至关重要，但公共决策的舞台在最近的科学建议讨论中基本上被忽视了。本文首先将立法机关与政府行政部门的职能和运作环境进行对比，研究这些差异如何影响各自科学咨询结构的要求。随后介绍了对欧洲三个国家立法科学咨询单位的研究，揭示了一系列咨询结构和实践。这些方法上的变化表明了关于为什么提供科学建议以及科学建议如何最有效地影响立法机构活动的不同基础概念。鉴于这些差异，以及我们目前对科学知识在公共决策不同领域的影响的比较理解有限，我们认为需要更多地关注通过比较国际研究来绘制和理解立法科学咨询结构的艰巨挑战。我们最后认为，这种类型的国际比较活动可以显着提高我们对科学咨询实践和结构对我们民主社会审议机构功能的不同影响的理解。本文作为向政府提供的科学建议集的一部分发表。
This article provides an introduction to science advisory structures in elected legislatures; an arena of public decision-making which, although critical to the healthy functioning of democratic societies, has been largely neglected in recent discussions of science advice. The article begins by contrasting the functions and operating environments of legislatures with those of executive branches of governments, examining how these differences shape the requirements of their respective science advisory structures. A study of three national legislative science advice units within Europe is then presented, revealing a range of advisory structures and practices. These variations in approach suggest different underpinning conceptions about both why science advice is being provided, and how science advice can most effectively influence a legislature’s activities. Given these differences, and our currently limited comparative understanding of the influence of scientific knowledge across different spheres of public decision-making, we argue that more attention needs to be focused on the difficult challenge of mapping and understanding legislative science advisory structures via a comparative international study. We close by arguing that an international comparative exercise of this type could significantly improve our understanding of the different influences science advisory practices and structures can have on the function of our democratic societies’ deliberative bodies. This article is published as part of a collection on scientific advice to governments.