Tracing Expertization

Abstract

It is often claimed that governance relies increasingly on academic experts and expertise, what can be referred to as the expertization or scientization of policy-making. But to what extent is this grand diagnosis confirmed by empirical data? Is expertization really taking place, and how does it stand up against competing trends such as the politicization of policy-making or the democratization of knowledge? The panel investigates these issues by examining expertization processes over time within different advisory bodies. It raises the question of how such processes can be properly conceptualized, mapped and compared across countries, institutional settings and policy areas. The changing reliance on academic expertise is traced using both quantitative and qualitative data. The panel also explores the empirical trends in light of normative debates on technocracy and de-politicized decision-making.