The Role of Research in the Development of U.S. Federal Alcohol Control Policy

Summary

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In the development of federal alcohol control policy, is research used merely to inform policymakers and the public, or to persuade them? Is it critical to the enactment of public policy, or is it an afterthought? To answer these questions, we analyzed in-depth interviews with federal alcohol policy community members, including those of the executive and legislative branches, interest group representatives, advocates, and media professionals. A snowball sampling strategy was used to collect 64 interviews. Informants were asked to respond in free narrative to questions about the role of research in policymaking generally and in instances known to the informant personally. Interview data were coded for demographics and content was analyzed. We also examined governmental documents pertaining to policies mentioned by subjects. Respondents perceived scientific information as only one of many levers relevant to the policymaking process, its role significantly constrained by rules governing policymaking strategy.

KEY WORDS: Alcohol, policy, United States, federal government, research.

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The Role of Research in the Development of U.S. Federal Alcohol Control Policy

The role of research in the public-policy-making process is shaped by the difference between the aims of science and those of policymaking. Scientists seek to proactively uncover and refine a body of absolute knowledge, while policymakers must define and take action on public problems as they arise (Brante, 1993; Single, 1993). Most often, the issues policymakers confront are trans-scientific in nature, including moral or political questions that cannot be answered in strictly scientific terms (Gusfield, 1981; Majone, 1989). The fundamental differences in aim contribute to what might be termed a credibility and utility gap between research and policymaking. To the extent that scientific expertise is active in shaping policy, it runs the risk of being perceived as politicized and lacking in credibility (Bimber, 1996; U.S. Congress, 1998). However, to the extent that scientific activity prioritizes a search for knowledge, its products may have reduced direct utility to policymakers (Holder, 1993; Holtgrave, 1997; Kirp, 1996; Saltz, 1993; Saunders, 1993; Wagenaar, 1993). Recognizing the conundrum posed by discontinuities between the goals of research and those of policymaking, some scholars have argued that science frequently does not, or even should not, play a prominent role in policy decision-making (Gordis, 1990, 1993, 1996; Holder, 1993; Kirp, 1996; Saltz, 1993; Single, 1993; Ryder, 1996). Others have argued to the contrary, that providers of scientific expertise can and ought to be involved more integrally in policymaking (Carr-Gregg, 1993; Casswell et al., 1993; Glaser, 1995; Hawks,...

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