11.373 | Fall 2004 | Graduate

Science, Politics, and Environmental Policy

Lecture Notes

These weekly notes are designed as questions on the weekly topic, to which the students must write their response papers.

LEC # TOPICS
Part I: What is Science?
1 Introduction to the Course (PDF)
2 The Policy Process and the Political Debate Over “Sound Science” (PDF)
3 The Scientific Method and the Production of Scientific Knowledge (PDF)
4 Environmental (Regulatory) Science, Experts, and Expertise (PDF)
Part II: How is Science Filtered Through the Policy Process?
5 Environmental Advocacy: Using Science to Define Problems (PDF)
6 Media Coverage of Science and Environmental Risk (PDF)
7 The Public’s Perception of Science and Environmental Risk (PDF)
8 Science in Legislative Decision Making (PDF)
9 Science in Administrative and Judicial Decision Making (PDF)
10 Science in the International Arena (PDF)
11 Advocacy Science vs. Collaborative Science (PDF)
12 Local Knowledge (PDF)
13 Uncertainty, Adaptive Management and the Precautionary Principle (PDF)