The Governance of Expertise in Challenging Policy Making

The governance of expertise refers to how power dynamics, both formal and informal, influence the integration of expert knowledge into political systems and public decision-making. This intersection between politics and knowledge has been explored in policy sciences, especially concerning the engagement of experts by policymakers amidst today's policy complexities and challenges. Expert knowledge legitimizes policymaking, but it can be challenged by issues of accountability and transparency. These dynamics are particularly prominent during significant economic, social, or environmental crises, such as climate change, pandemics, and military conflicts, which require swift and sophisticated responses furnished by experts from academia, research institutions, think tanks, and interest groups. These experts, while enhancing decision-making legitimacy, also influence democratic processes, which raises concerns about the balance between effectiveness and legitimacy.

This Research Topic aims to explore the complex relationship between democratic governance and technocracy. It examines how experts can influence decision-making, the way their roles evolve across different stages of the policy process, and how these interactions alter governance frameworks at various institutional levels. Through a focus on sustainability policies aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda, this Research Topic seeks to understand the crucial and unavoidable role of expertise in policymaking and its associated tensions and arrangements.

To gather further insights in this evolving landscape of expertise governance in policymaking, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• The dynamics and tensions between expertise and democratic governance.
• Structural and procedural configurations of expertise within government advisory systems.
• Roles of experts in shaping issue-making processes in central and local governments.
• Case studies of expert involvement in policy adoption and implementation phases.
• The impact of strategic foresight on decision-making processes.
• Influence and strategies of sustainable development interest groups.
• Evaluations of public policy and their effects on policymaking processes.

Articles considering various contributions, like empirical studies, theoretical papers, and comprehensive reviews, are welcomed to enrich this discussion.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Registered Report
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: expertise, governance, policymaking, democratic legitimacy, technocracy, sustainability

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.