ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the definition of evidence misuse and its negative consequences. It presents the ways in which Jrgen Habermas and Michel Foucault tackle notions of power, and focuses on how civic society does or might function, they employ fundamentally opposing approaches. It then highlights the tension between the ideal of evidence-informed policy, where decisions are made in keeping with the force of the better argument and the often-experienced reality, where discourse serves to influence what this better argument might be. The chapter suggests that in a democratic society it is both unfeasible and undesirable to employ a fully technocratic approach to policy development. The process of policy-making requires more than an ability to read evidence, judge its quality and then enact its findings; policy-makers whether politicians or civil servants must employ both values and a wealth of skills when deciding what is right for the education of a nation.
