It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.

Sir Winston Churchill

Introduction

No person can become an expert on all topics, but all citizens within a democracy can influence social policy. And the public typically desires to exert much influence upon public policy even when they have little understanding of complex and controversial innovations. The question becomes, To what extent should ordinary citizens influence social policy related to the use and regulation of advanced technologies about which they have little understanding?


Compass

    Key Questions

      To what extent and in what manner should the opinions of the public be incorporated within the formation of social policies designed to regulate complex technologies?

    Examples

      Why should a technologically advanced society give much credence to the opinions of a largely ignorant public?

      Should?

      How do social institutions and public policies affect science and technology?

      Is the American public sufficiently informed about science and technology to make a valuable contribution to technology policy?

      To what extent should people's values be taken into consideration in forming social policy related to advanced technologies?


Debate Regarding the Role of Citizen Input Into Technology Policy

Cass R. Sunstein, Director of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under President Obama, argues that advanced societies are too strongly influenced by "laws of fears," that is, regulations that ignore sound scientific evidence in favor of misinformed and misguided public opinions. Mr. Sunstein believes that public policy should be guided by values, but not by the blunders of ordinary people. In contrast, Dan Kahan and colleagues argue that social policy formation should pay greater attention to the value-orientations of the public.

Please read the papers shown below and be prepared in class to discuss the extent to which the public's value-orientations should be included when forming regulatory policies regarding advanced technololgies.

Kahan, Dan M., Paul Slovic, Donald Braman, and John Gastil, Fear of Democracy: A Cultural Evaluation of Sunstein on Risk.
Sunstein, Cass R., Misfearing: A Reply.
Kahan, Dan M., and Paul Slovic, Cultural Evaluation of Risk: 'Values' or 'Blunders'?
Go Back to Previous Page Go Forward to Next Page Go to the Home Page Go to the Reading Assignments Page