Suchergebnisse

The author presents a case study on the way the UK government handled BSE, with a specific focus on the problems that resulted due to scientific uncertainties that accompanied the attempt to formulate a response to this outbreak. References. D. Miller

"This chapter deals with public understanding of uncertainty in climate science and policy taking a closer look at how laypeople perceive and make sense of the non-knowledge about the topic. Based on original research with Swedish focus groups, among others, the authors conclude that the uncertainty about causes and consequences might not be the most pressing issues. Rather they see that the questions regarding the individual responsibility to mitigate climate change and the effectiveness of responses to climate change can be even more confusing. An implication for global change management would be to address more systematically the blindspots related to effectiveness of policies and measures tackling climate change." (author's abstract)

Applying the research in this volume, this article explores the relationship between the post-Cold War media coverage of foreign affairs, the formation of public opinion, & its influence on the state. The author strives to create a general theory & to point out directions for future theory development & research. Research in this volume highlights the tensions between theoretical generalizations & the complexity, differentiation, & explanatory completeness of research. L. A. Hoffman

Explores the extent to which French public opinion influences foreign policy making. The study seeks to determine how French policymakers determine public opinion & if they take action because they believe the public demands it & refrain from certain actions because of lack of public support. Determining the causal links between mass opinion & foreign policy making is complex. This study mixed interpretative & historical approaches. Polling results & policy decisions were studied as well as an analysis of policymakers' memoirs & biographies to determine how they perceived public opinion. The hypotheses formed were then tested against interviews with foreign policy officials. Research began in 1996, & it was based on interviews with 37 foreign policy officials including prime ministers, foreign secretaries, defense secretaries, & presidential advisers, concerning specific events during Francois Mitterrand's presidency. It was found that contrary to the common assumption that French policymakers are insulated from public preferences, public opinion is influential in policy making, although it is not the exclusive factor. L. A. Hoffman