Environmental Decisionmaking

Problem Set #8:

1) (5 pts) Jasanoff describes five case histories which she calls "flawed decisions". In your opinion, what went wrong in these cases? Why were scientists not able to come to the "right" conclusion the first time?

2) (5 pts) Explain why a modern critique of science generally calls into question its "objectivity" in the traditional sense. How does this affect the prospect of expert decision making?

3) (5 pts) What is "agency capture"? Why is this important for decision making? Jasanoff refers to this only obliquely in the reading, so you may want to rely on the lecture or some web surfing to answer this question. If you do that, notice how the conservative discussion of "agency capture" focuses capture by the expert bureaucrats of an agency (over political appointments), while the liberal concern is capture by regulated industry.

4) (5 pts) How does the prospect of uncertainty affect the interplay between expert decision making and the political process. What are some arguments for why courts should either carefully oversee agency decisions, or why they should grant significant leeway to these agencies? Where do you fall on this question?