How Can Positive Research Findings Help a Policy Weakling?
James S. CatterallThis essay describes circumstances under which social research may become relevant in social policy-making. The author pays particular attention to interests in weak organizational positions, possessing little direct power to promote their welfare. Arts and music education in the public schools provide cases in point. The essay considers what happens as usable knowledge enters the policy arena. Society’s conception is that usable knowledge enters an essentially political process, enhancing the power of political actors wanting rationales and support for their positions and issues, while decreasing the power of others. The issue position and power of the political actor often lead to the need to form coalitions or make other agreements in order to gain winning votes. This is especially true for the “policy weakling,” the interest that seldom alone commands sufficient votes on a policy board to prevail.Published: Chicago Policy Review (Volume 10, No. 1, 2006).
