The ironical role of science in policymaking: the case of the spruce budworm

Abstract

There is continuing controversy over the proper role of scientific information in policymaking. Opinions appear to be split along ideological lines, with those who subscribe to the technocratic mode favouring a central role for scientific experts in natural resource decision‐making, while the more humanistically‐inclined harbour doubts about such scientific influence. One version of this latter perspective argues that scientific information is often too ambivalent and contentious to be of use in resolving complex policy issues. In the face of such scientific conjecture, therefore, policymakers would be wise to make their decisions insensitive to these various scientific debates. This leaves science with the ironical role of ensuring that no single interpretation of events achieves dominance in policymaking. Aspects of this hypothesis are evaluated within the context of a case study: the spruce budworm problem in New Brunswick, Canada.