Module 1.1  Government and Science Policy

(Development in progress)

Introduction

In the three weeks of the models and tools module, we will consider ways to understanding policy, innovation, and markets, each of which affect our central problem of seeing science and technology in its political, economic, and social context. 

Governments have to make important decisions about science policy, and there are a lot of different ways in which those decisions can be made, influenced by the structure of government, the various lobbying and pressures that are brought to bear on government, and the priorities that governments set.  We will start back in the Second World War with some very specific decisions, influenced by two extraordinary men—Tizard and Lindemann—as reported by a third—Snow.  Those with the time will find the 57 page text well worth the read. For those without, May’s Foreword and the slides will provide the essential outline. 

Learning objectives

• • Explain the link between politics and policy
• • Analyze social aspects of engineering activities: innovation, development, national policies
• • Understand uncertainty in causality
• • Apply the concept of evidence-based policy

Required reading (372)

This is the stuff students must read; not more than an hour or two for the 372 class

Definitions of politics

Lord Robert May (2012) Foreword, Science and Government 

Skim: Bardach (2012) Appendix B - What Governments can do

Skim: Pawson (2006) Chapter 2, Realist Methodology: The Building Blocks of Evidence (pp. 17-37)  

Other links and references (374)

This is the stuff that is expected for the POE374 students, and links to the seminar

Snow, C.P. (1960, 2013)  Science and Government. Godkin Lectures, Harvard University. [Moodle] 

Bardach (2012) Appendix C - Understanding Public and Non-Profit Organizations  

Presentations

Lecture 1: Radar, Bombing, and Sharing

The first lecture addresses three historical cases of decision-making about science during the Second World War. With war in Europe looming in 1935 the British government had to make a decision about where to invest its limited budget for air defence. Then in 1940 it had to make decisions about level to which it would invest in the strategic bombing campaign.  Finally, in 1941, before the US had entered the war on its side, it had a critical decision to make about the extent to which it would share technology with the US.  These three decisions, and the ways in which they were reached, were described by one of the protagonists, a public servant called Charles Percy Snow, in the Godkin Lectures at Harvard University in 1960.  These lectures remain an excellent description of the nature of government decision-making, the more compelling because of Snow’s novelist’s eye for characters and interpersonal drama.  Having trained as a physical chemist and served in both government and universities, he was uniquely qualified to pass judgement on the process of making policy.

Link to the slides 

[slides will normally be posted in Moodle, but will be placed here when required as a backup]

Lecture 2: Evidence and Policy

The second lecture addresses the nature of evidence for policy making.  What do governments actually do, and how can evidence be gathered in order to inform the policies that they attempt to implement?  The first part of the question draws on material you may remember from your introduction to Canadian government and society (POE205). The second concerns the nature of evidence-based policy, and the problems that face a government committed to adjusting policies according to evidence.  

Link to the slides

Seminar: How is Science Policy Made?

(Required for POE374, optional for POE372) 

The central question for the POE374 seminar is, “how is science policy made in Canada?”  This will be a recurring theme in the course as we explore other aspects of the way in which science and technology interact with government and society.  We will develop a preliminary answer this week, and return to the subject when we look at Canada’s innovation strategy in week 3, the role of the policy marketplace in week 4, and Canada’s defence technology policies in weeks 12 and 13.