Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines science and technology policy by considering how science and technology interact with each other and with society. It illustrates scientists, policy makers, and members of the public all implicitly hold some philosophy of science and technology. The book offers a historical look at policy making for science and technology in the United States. It suggests that past policy has been based on an outmoded empiricist conception of science and technology that keeps the issues in the fields in the hands of "the experts" rather than in those of the public. The book discusses specific ways in which the policymaking framework might be revised to accommodate the participatory and ethical dimensions of modern science and technology policy issues. It describes an analytical framework known as risk-cost-benefit analysis, which is commonly used in making policy decisions.