Use of energy policy research and/or analysis in congressional decision making

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:7011423

Ahiarah, S C.O.

Regardless of what anyone thinks about it, policy science, as conceived by Lasswell, has become a discipline that is breeding new professionals who are producing policy researches and/or analyses decision making. But are they so used - is the intended marriage between PRA information and public policy decision making taking place. Many think they are, although others are skeptical. This study goes beyond the question of whether or not PRAs are used in public policy decision making, to investigate the purposes for which they are used therein. The public-policy decision making context selected is the legislative (congressional) decision making occasions in energy issues between 1979 and 1982; the objects of use are the energy PRAs from three congressional support agencies - the General Accounting Office, the Office of Technology Assessment, and the Congressional Budget Office. The findings are that when use is defined as congressional admission of the PRAs, all support agency PRAs are used, but when use is defined in terms of Congress Considering or adapting the PRAs in its decision making contexts, only a portion of all the support agency PRAs get used. The PRAs that are consideratively or adaptively used are more likely to be used for enlightenment, position support, and/or symbolic-propagandistic purposes.

• Research Organization: Pittsburgh Univ., PA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7011423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
293000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
DATA ANALYSIS
DECISION MAKING
ENERGY POLICY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
PUBLIC POLICY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
USES