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Expertocracy as thin-centered ideology: theoretical concepts and empirical illustrations

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Titel: Expertocracy as thin-centered ideology: theoretical concepts and empirical illustrations
Autoren: Veith Selk
Quelle: Political Research Exchange, Vol 7, Iss 1 (2025)
Verlagsinformationen: Taylor & Francis Group, 2025.
Publikationsjahr: 2025
Bestand: LCC:Political science
Schlagwörter: Expertocracy, technocracy, democracy, Fridays for Future, climate crisis, Political science
Beschreibung: The Covid-19 pandemic and looming prospect of climate change have brought a debate on the role of expertise and scientific knowledge in policymaking to the fore. This debate informs the work of many scholars working on the dangers and promises of technocracy. Technocracy, however, is neither the only nor the most important ideology that calls for policymaking based on science, research, scholarship, and expertise. In the wake of the ongoing crisis of democratic regimes, it is the ideology of expertocracy that is most significantly gaining in influence. This paper proposes a conceptualization of expertocracy, while at the same time taking its flexible, promiscuous-by-design character into account and framing it as a thin-centered ideology that needs to be distinguished from technocracy and scientific policy advice. These concepts are then used to analyze the writings of Luisa Neubauer, a leading figure of the German branch of Fridays for Future. This case also helps us to understand why the thin-centered ideology of expertocracy is better adapted than technocracy and scientific policy advice both to the current polarization of democratic political life and to the context of looming climate change.
Publikationsart: article
Dateibeschreibung: electronic resource
Sprache: English
ISSN: 2474-736X
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2474-736X
DOI: 10.1080/2474736X.2025.2575772
Zugangs-URL: https://doaj.org/article/32c504f44f624c10b530ed79c732661f
Dokumentencode: edsdoj.32c504f44f624c10b530ed79c732661f
Datenbank: Directory of Open Access Journals
Beschreibung
Abstract:The Covid-19 pandemic and looming prospect of climate change have brought a debate on the role of expertise and scientific knowledge in policymaking to the fore. This debate informs the work of many scholars working on the dangers and promises of technocracy. Technocracy, however, is neither the only nor the most important ideology that calls for policymaking based on science, research, scholarship, and expertise. In the wake of the ongoing crisis of democratic regimes, it is the ideology of expertocracy that is most significantly gaining in influence. This paper proposes a conceptualization of expertocracy, while at the same time taking its flexible, promiscuous-by-design character into account and framing it as a thin-centered ideology that needs to be distinguished from technocracy and scientific policy advice. These concepts are then used to analyze the writings of Luisa Neubauer, a leading figure of the German branch of Fridays for Future. This case also helps us to understand why the thin-centered ideology of expertocracy is better adapted than technocracy and scientific policy advice both to the current polarization of democratic political life and to the context of looming climate change.
ISSN:2474736X
DOI:10.1080/2474736X.2025.2575772