The Advisers
Scientists in the Policy Process

Focuses on the experiences of agency and presidential-level advisory systems over the past several decades. Smith chronicles the special complexities and challenges resulting from the Federal Advisory Committee Act, to provide a better understanding of the role of advisory committees.

He looks at science advice in the Departments of Defence, State, and Energy; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the Environmental Protection Agency; then focuses on how science advisory mechanisms have worked at the White House. Rather than simply providing a description of structures and institutions, Smith shows the advisory systems in action - how the committees work or fail to work in practice. He analyzes how the advisory mechanisms influence the policymaking process and affect the life of the agencies they serve. Smith concludes with an assessment of the relationship between science advice and American democracy. He explains that the widespread use of advisory committees clearly reflects America's preference for pluralism. By scrutinizing agency plans, goals, and operations, these committees serve a variety of functions and attempt to strike a balance between citizen access to government and the need for sophisticated expertise. The challenge to the nation is to reconcile the integrity of science with the norms of democracy.