Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The policy literature contains two conflicting views of the role of professionals in public policymaking. One view sees professionals as relatively noninfluential because decision makers ignore professional knowledge and professionals do not tailor their research to practical policy concerns. The other view depicts professionals as dominating the policy process through professional "issue networks" in and out of government that have replaced the old, special-interest pressure groups. The analysis presented here accepts neither of these views as adequately portraying the professional role in policymaking. Rather, professionals play multiple roles in the policy process, making it difficult to delimit a singular pattern of professional influence. To develop a more differentiated concept of professional roles, the article examines the different forms of knowledge employed by professionals, the different kinds of professionals involved in policy, and the political contexts in which professionals make policy decisions Illustrations of these different professional roles are taken from previous studies of economic and budgetary decisions making in the United States and West Germany.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Allison, G. (1975) "Implementation analysis: the 'missing chapter' in conventional analysis: a teaching exercise," R. Zeckhauser in (ed.) Benefit Cost and Policy Analysis. Chicago: Aldine.

Beer, S. (1976) "The adoption of general revenue sharing." Public Policy 24 (Spring): 127-196.

Caplan, N. , A. Morrison , and R.J. Stambaugh (1975) The Use of Social Science Knowledge in Policy Decisions at the National Level. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research.

Chase, G. and E.C. Reveal (1983) How to Manage in the Public Sector. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Cherryholmes, C. (1985) "Theory and practice: On the role of empirically based theory for critical practice." Amer. J. of Education 94, 1: 39-70.

Derthick, M. and P.J. Quirk (1985) The Politics of Deregulation. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.

Floria, S. (1983) "The written literacy forum: an analysis of teacher researcher collaboration." Presented at the annual AERA meetings, Montreal.

Hammond, T. and J. Knott (1980) A Zero-Base Look at Zero-Base Budgeting. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.

Havelock, R.G. (1969) Planning for Innovation Through Dissemination and Utilization of Knowledge. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research.

10.

Heclo, H. (1978) "Issue networks and the executive establishment," in A King (ed.) The New American Political System. Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute.

11.

Jordon, G. (1981) "Iron triangles, wooly corporatism and elastic nets as images of the policy process." J. of Public Policy 1, 1: 95-123.

12.

Journal of Money Credit and Banking (1982) " Is the Federal Reserve's monetary control policy misdirected?" 14, 1: 119-147.

13.

Knott, J. (1981) Managing the German Economy: Budgetary Politics in a Federal State. Lexmgton, MA: Lexington Books.

14.

———( 1983) "Uncertainty and federal reserve decision making." Presented at the American Political Science Association Convention , Chicago.

15.

———and A. Wildavsky (1980) "If dissemination is the solution, what is the problem?" Knowledge: Creation, Diffusion, Utilization 1, 4: 537-578.

16.

Levy, F. , A. Meltsner , and A. Wildavsky (1974) Urban Outcomes. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press.

17.

Lindblom, C. (1979) "Still muddling, not yet through." Public Administration Rev. 39, 6: 517-526.

18.

———and D. Cohen (1979) Usable Knowledge: Social Science and Social Problem Solving. New Haven, CT: Yale Univ. Press.

19.

Lynn, L. E. [ed.] (1978) Knowledge and Policy: The Uncertain Connection. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.

20.

Mayer, T. (1982) "Money stock versus interest rate targets: an institutional approach." Working Paper Series 188. Davis: University of California, Department of Economics.

21.

Moynihan, D.P. (1980) "Two tax revolts," in Counting Our Blessings: Reflections on the Future of America. Boston : Little, Brown.

22.

Newell, A. and H. Simon (1972) Human Problem Solving. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

23.

Patton, M. (1977) "In search of impact: an analysis of the utilization of health evaluation research," in C. H. Weiss (ed.) Using Social Research in Public Policy Making. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.

24.

Peters, T.J. and R.H. Waterman (1982) In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best Run Companies. New York: Warner Books.

25.

Pierce, J. (1979) "The political economy of Arthur Burns." J. of Finance 34, 2: 485-504.

26.

Poole, W. (1979) "Burnsian monetary policy: eight years of progress? " J. of Finance 34, 2: 473-484.

27.

Rivlin, A. (1971) Systematic Thinking for Social Action. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.

28.

Schattschneider, E.E. (1960) The Semi-Sovereign People. Hinsdale, IL: Dryden.

29.

Schultze, C. (1968) The Politics and Economics of Public Spending. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.

30.

Simon, L.H. (1955) "A behavioral model of rational choice." Q. J. of Economics 69 (February).

31.

———( 1978) "On how to decide what to do." Bell J. 9, 4: 494-507.

32.

———( 1980) "Style in design," in ERDA TWO Proceedings of the Second Annual Environmental Design Research Association Conference, Pittsburgh. Stroudsburg, PA. Dowden, Hutchinson, & Ross.

33.

Van Lohuizen, C.W. (1984) "The knowledge household and policy making." Presented at the Utilization-Focused Knowledge and Planning Workshop , Eindhoven.

34.

Weiss, C.H. (1980) "Improving the link between social research and public policy," in L. E. Lynn, Jr. (ed.) Knowledge and Policy: The Uncertain Connection. Washington, DC. National Academy of Sciences.

35.

Wildavsky, A. (1975) Budgeting: A Comparative Theory of Budgetary Processes . Boston. Little, Brown.

36.

Wilson, J. Q [ed ] (1980) The Politics of Regulation. New York. Basic Books.

37.

Wirt, F. (1981) "Professionalism and political conflict." J. of Public Policy 1, 1.

The Multiple and Ambiguous Roles of Professionals in Public Policymaking

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References