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Four Decades of Public Participation in Risk Decision Making
Thomas Webler1,2, Seth Tuler2,3
1Department of Environmental Studies, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA.
Risk Analysis : an Official Publication of the Society for Risk Analysis
|December 15, 2018
Summary
Public participation in risk decisions has a mixed history. Future success requires addressing declining trust and strengthening democratic values for better decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Risk Management
- Public Policy
Background:
- Public participation in risk decision-making has evolved over four decades with varied success.
- Historically, a gap existed between scientific and political perspectives in risk management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the evolution of public participation in US risk decision-making.
- To identify challenges and prospects for future public participation in risk management.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review of public participation practices in the United States.
- Analysis of key forces shaping public participation, including democratic deliberation and integrated science-policy perspectives.
Main Results:
- Public participation's effectiveness is hindered by declining institutional trust and weakening democratic processes.
- Key challenges include a lack of supportive attitudes, an anti-democratic atmosphere, and underutilization of knowledge.
Conclusions:
- Improving public participation in risk decisions necessitates rebuilding trust and fostering democratic values.
- Further research and practice improvements are needed to address contextual factors and enhance dialogue.
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