Michael Heazle – författare

Uncertainty in Policy Making explores how uncertainty is interpreted and used by policy makers, experts and politicians. It argues that conventional notions of rational, evidence-based policy making - hailed by governments and organisations across the world as the only way to make good policy - is an impossible aim in highly complex and uncertain environments; the blind pursuit of such a ''rational'' goal is in fact irrational in a world of competing values and interests.

The book centres around two high-profile and important case studies: the Iraq war and climate change policy in the US, UK and Australia. Based on three years'' research, including interviews with experts such as Hans Blix, Paul Pillar, and Brian Jones, these two case studies show that the treatment of uncertainty issues in specialist advice is largely determined by how well the advice fits with or contradicts the policy goals and orientation of the policy elite. Instead of allowing the debates to be side-tracked by arguments over whose science or expert advice is ''more right'', we must accept that uncertainty in complex issues is unavoidable and recognise the values and interests that lie at the heart of the issues. The book offers a ''hedging'' approach which will enable policy makers to manage rather than eliminate uncertainty.

Uncertainty in Policy Making explores how uncertainty is interpreted and used by policy makers, experts and politicians. It argues that conventional notions of rational, evidence-based policy making - hailed by governments and organisations across the world as the only way to make good policy - is an impossible aim in highly complex and uncertain environments; the blind pursuit of such a ''rational'' goal is in fact irrational in a world of competing values and interests.

The book centres around two high-profile and important case studies: the Iraq war and climate change policy in the US, UK and Australia. Based on three years'' research, including interviews with experts such as Hans Blix, Paul Pillar, and Brian Jones, these two case studies show that the treatment of uncertainty issues in specialist advice is largely determined by how well the advice fits with or contradicts the policy goals and orientation of the policy elite. Instead of allowing the debates to be side-tracked by arguments over whose science or expert advice is ''more right'', we must accept that uncertainty in complex issues is unavoidable and recognise the values and interests that lie at the heart of the issues. The book offers a ''hedging'' approach which will enable policy makers to manage rather than eliminate uncertainty.

Voters expect their elected representatives to pursue good policy and presume this will be securely founded on the best available knowledge. Yet when representatives emphasize their reliance on expert knowledge, they seem to defer to people whose authority derives, not politically from the sovereign people, but from the presumed objective status of their disciplinary bases.

This book examines the tensions between political authority and expert authority in the formation of public policy in liberal democracies. It aims to illustrate and better understand the nature of these tensions rather than to argue specific ways of resolving them. The various chapters explore the complexity of interaction between the two forms of authority in different policy domains in order to identify both common elements and differences. The policy domains covered include: climate geoengineering discourses; environmental health; biotechnology; nuclear power; whaling; economic management; and the use of force.

This volume will appeal to researchers and to convenors of post-graduate courses in the fields of policy studies, foreign policy decision-making, political science, environmental studies, democratic system studies, and science policy studies.

Voters expect their elected representatives to pursue good policy and presume this will be securely founded on the best available knowledge. Yet when representatives emphasize their reliance on expert knowledge, they seem to defer to people whose authority derives, not politically from the sovereign people, but from the presumed objective status of their disciplinary bases.

This book examines the tensions between political authority and expert authority in the formation of public policy in liberal democracies. It aims to illustrate and better understand the nature of these tensions rather than to argue specific ways of resolving them. The various chapters explore the complexity of interaction between the two forms of authority in different policy domains in order to identify both common elements and differences. The policy domains covered include: climate geoengineering discourses; environmental health; biotechnology; nuclear power; whaling; economic management; and the use of force.

This volume will appeal to researchers and to convenors of post-graduate courses in the fields of policy studies, foreign policy decision-making, political science, environmental studies, democratic system studies, and science policy studies.

China''s Rise and Australia–-Japan–-US Relations discusses the strategic post-war presence of American leadership in Asia, and examines the influence on the region’s geopolitics. This book allows readers to understand how and why China is challenging this external engagement, and conversely why Australia and Japan want to maintain a commitment to US input; their perceptions of American leadership are critical indicators of the prospects for change in the region.

This is a vital book for security and international relations scholars, researchers and experts, as it provides detailed analyses of current relations between countries in the Asia Pacific and the US, as well as giving a thorough look into what the future is likely to hold in terms of US commitment in the region.

Contributors include: Z. Cooper, I. Hall, R. Hanada, M. Heazle, V. Jackson, R. Kersten, S. Lee, S. Mori, A. O''Neil, M. Rapp-Hooper, R. Sahashi