ABSTRACT
This chapter compares the expertise-seeking arrangements observed in education policymaking in two political systems: ad hoc advisory commissions in corporatist Norway and congressional hearings in the pluralistic United States. Specifically, it examines how each arrangement is structured, who participates, and what kinds of legitimization strategies are utilized. By analyzing the membership composition of each arrangement and the interviews with 30 policy experts, the chapter finds that institutionalized political models in each country have shaped the unique structure of the expertise-seeking arrangements to embrace the culture of consensus-building or competition. Also, the greater participation of academics and interest groups was noteworthy in Norway and the United States, respectively. The experts adopt a mixture of four strategies (exclusion, inclusion, outsourcing, and mechanical objectivity) to enhance the legitimacy of their arrangements and, ultimately, their knowledge and claims. This chapter discusses the differences in the expertise-seeking arrangements within the broader contexts of uncertainties and inequalities in the policy process and concludes by sharing implications for the Nordic education model.
