Science and Technology Advice for Congress

The elimination of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) in 1995 left Congress without an institutional arrangement to bring expert scientific and technological advice into the process of legislative decision-making. This deficiency has become increasingly critical, as more and more of the decisions faced by Congress and society require judgements based on highly specialized technical information. Offering perspectives from scholars and scientists with diverse academic backgrounds and extensive experience within the policy process, the book breaks from the politics of the OTA and its contentious aftermath. The authors begin with an overview of the use of technical information in framing policy issues, crafting legislation, and the overall process of governing. The contributors continue with a discussion of why OTA was created. The second part of the book responds to request from congressional leaders for practical solutions.