Abstract
Expert knowledge is an essential prerequisite of modern governance across jurisdictions and levels of government. In order to be able to respond adequately to today’s societal problems, enlightened policy making must decidedly rest on a sound knowledge basis. Traditionally, the monopoly over expert knowledge in the policy process has been held by government bureaucracies. This was asserted most vehemently by Max Weber, who saw the expert bureaucrat with his or her uncon-tested monopoly over expert knowledge as being indispensable to modern government (Weber, 1925/1978, pp. 956–1005). The only challenge Weber saw to bureaucrats’ superior expertise in the policy process were ‘private economic interest groups’ with their specialist knowledge (Weber, 1925/1978, p. 994).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2015 Julia Metz
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Metz, J. (2015). Introduction. In: The European Commission, Expert Groups, and the Policy Process. European Administrative Governance. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137437235_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137437235_1
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-57528-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-43723-5
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political Science CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)