Experts, Information and Political Improvement: A Professional Development Award in Studies in Science, Technology and Society

这一为期一年的全职奖项将授予指导卡尔顿学院技术政策项目的物理学家，以加深他对信息获取和新信息技术与政治权力和影响力之间关系的理解。他将在加州大学圣地亚哥分校（University of California at San Diego）待一年，与两位接待学者一起工作。政治学家桑福德·拉科夫研究科学与政府的相互作用；赫伯特·约克，全球冲突与合作研究所名誉主任，是一位经验丰富的政府公务员，也是军备控制和其他技术/社会问题的国际谈判代表。Lakoff教授将指导Casper教授研究和分析民主理论中的概念，如“政治问责制”和“公众知情权”，并考虑如何将这些概念付诸实施。约克教授将指导他的研究和分析，即科学家如何赋予公民参与权力和合法性，以及剥夺公民参与权力和合法性。该项目将特别强调学院和大学在向公民提供信息和专业知识方面的重要新作用。该项目的具体产品将包括一系列文章和一本书，暂定名为“专家、信息和政治赋权”。该项目解决了伦理和价值观研究中的一个核心问题：在科学家、工程师和公民之间的互动中产生的社会价值观、相互义务和责任。研究者及其接待专家和接待机构是唯一有资格承担和支持这个项目的人；研究和相关活动可能会在奖励期结束后继续进行。结果很可能得到适当的传播和有用。因此，建议给予43 000美元的奖励。

This one year, full-time award enables a physicist who directs the Carleton College Technology Policy Project to develop his understanding of the relationships between access to information and new information technologies and political power and influence. He will spend a year at the University of California at San Diego, working with two host scholars. Political scientist Sanford Lakoff studies the interaction of science and government; Herbert York, director emeritus of the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, is an experienced government servant and international negotiator on arms control and other technology/society issues. Professor Lakoff will guide Professor Casper's study and analysis of concepts in democratic theory such as "political accountability" and "public right to know," and consideration of how such concepts might be operationalized. Professor York will guide his study and analysis of how scientists have both empowered and legitimated, and disempowered and delegitimated citizen involvement. The project will place particular emphasis on important new roles for colleges and universities in providing citizens access to information and expertise. Among the concrete products of the project will be a series of articles and a book, tentatively titled Experts, Information and Political Empowerment. This project addresses a central issue in ethics and values studies: the social values and mutual obligations and responsibilities that arise in the interactions between scientists, engineers, and citizens. The investigator and his host specialists and host institution are uniquely well-qualified to undertake and support this project; research and related activities are likely to continue after the period of the award. Results are likely to be appropriately disseminated and useful. An award in the amount ofd $43,000 is therefore recommended.