Publisher's Synopsis
In this study, Connie Ozawa examines the relationship between the management of scientific information and political power in the USA. In cases ranging from local land use disputes to federal regulatory battles, decision-making methods based on generating a consensus among key players have been added to the conventional policy-making process.;The author examines how consensus-based methods can result in a transformation of the way scientific information and argumentation are used to shape decisions. She illustrates how consensual procedures can help to recast science from weaponry in the hands of policy adversaries into more constructive decision aids in governmental policymaking.
