Technological deliberation in a democratic society: the case for participatory inquiry
Frank Fischer · Science and Public Policy · 1999
Far too little systematic attention has been devoted to the ability of citizens to participate meaningfully in an age dominated by complex technologies and expert decisions. Citizen protests against technological threats have led to practices of participatory inquiry that allow people to voice opinions on issues that directly affect their lives. The implied extra time and cost of the inquiry process has been worth while in many instances. More active steps should be taken to integrate the approach formally into technological policy and decision-making.