This book offers a concise and accessible introduction to debates about expertise, policy-making and democracy. It uniquely combines an overview of recent research on the policy role of experts with discussions in political philosophy and the philosophy of expertise. Starting with the fact that well-functioning democracies require experts and expert knowledge, the book examines two types of objections against granting experts a larger role in policy-making: concerns that focus on the nature and limits of expert knowledge, and those that concentrate on tensions between expertization and democracy. With this, the book discusses how expert arrangements can be organized to ensure the epistemic qualities of policies and democratic credentials, at the same time. The book will be of interest to scholars and students of political theory and democracy, public policy and administration, and to anyone interested in the role of expertise in society.

Welfare state professionals decide or establish premises as to whom will receive what, in what manner, when and how much, and when enough is enough. They control who passes through the gates of the welfare state. This book provides an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of discretion. It shows why the delegation of discretionary powers to professionals in the front-line of the welfare state is both unavoidable and problematic. Extensive use of discretion can threaten the principles of the rule of law and relinquish democratic control over the implementation of laws and policies. The book introduces an understanding of discretion that adds an epistemic dimension (discretion as a mode of reasoning) to the common structural understanding of discretion (an area of judgment and decision). Accordingly, it distinguishes between structural and epistemic measures of accountability. The aim of the former is to constrain discretionary spaces or the behavior within them while the aim of the latter is to improve the quality of discretionary reasoning. This text will be of key interest to scholars and students in the fields of applied philosophy, public policy and public administration, welfare state research, and the sociology of professions.

Corrosion remains one of the key issues affecting the performance and availability of nuclear power plants. Therefore, reliable in-plant corrosion monitoring methods are essential both for the future operation of existing plants and to ensure the safety of future nuclear waste disposal systems. In two parts, this book was stimulated by a workshop organised by EFC Working Party 4 on Nuclear Corrosion and the European Cooperative Group on Corrosion Monitoring of Nuclear Materials (EGC-COMON). The first part deals mainly with research into the detection of stress corrosion crack initiation in nuclear power plant environments (essentially high temperature water at around 300 DegreesC) by various methods, particularly the electrochemical noise technique but also including the electrochemical impedance, acoustic emission and direct current potential drop methods. The second part addresses the goal to develop in-situ techniques and includes examples of the application of electrochemical corrosion potential monitoring. This book will be of particular interest to scientists and engineers concerned with the mitigation of corrosion in nuclear systems.

Welfare state professionals decide or establish premises as to whom will receive what, in what manner, when and how much, and when enough is enough. They control who passes through the gates of the welfare state. This book provides an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of discretion. It shows why the delegation of discretionary powers to professionals in the front-line of the welfare state is both unavoidable and problematic. Extensive use of discretion can threaten the principles of the rule of law and relinquish democratic control over the implementation of laws and policies. The book introduces an understanding of discretion that adds an epistemic dimension (discretion as a mode of reasoning) to the common structural understanding of discretion (an area of judgment and decision). Accordingly, it distinguishes between structural and epistemic measures of accountability. The aim of the former is to constrain discretionary spaces or the behavior within them while the aim of the latter is to improve the quality of discretionary reasoning. This text will be of key interest to scholars and students in the fields of applied philosophy, public policy and public administration, welfare state research, and the sociology of professions.

Corrosion remains one of the key issues affecting the performance and availability of nuclear power plants. Therefore, reliable in-plant corrosion monitoring methods are essential both for the future operation of existing plants and to ensure the safety of future nuclear waste disposal systems. In two parts, this book was stimulated by a workshop organised by EFC Working Party 4 on Nuclear Corrosion and the European Cooperative Group on Corrosion Monitoring of Nuclear Materials (EGC-COMON). The first part deals mainly with research into the detection of stress corrosion crack initiation in nuclear power plant environments (essentially high temperature water at 300 ) by various methods, particularly the electrochemical noise technique but also including the electrochemical impedance, acoustic emission and direct current potential drop methods. The second part addresses the goal to develop in-situ techniques and includes examples of the application of electrochemical corrosion potential monitoring. This book will be of particular interest to scientists and engineers concerned with the mitigation of corrosion in nuclear power plants and the long-term storage of radioactive waste.

The notion of "the public sphere" has become increasingly central to theories and studies of democracy, media, and culture over the last few decades. It has also gained political importance in the context of the European Union's efforts to strengthen democracy, integration, and identity. The Idea of the Public Sphere offers a wide-ranging, accessible, and easy-to-use introduction to one of the most influential ideas in modern social and political thought, tracing its development from the origins of modern democracy in the Eighteenth Century to present day debates. This book brings key texts by the leading contributors in the field together in a single volume. It explores current topics such as the role of religion in public affairs, the implications of the internet for organizing public deliberation, and the transnationalisation of public issues.

The notion of 'the public sphere' has become increasingly central to theories and studies of democracy, media, and culture over the last few decades. It has also gained political importance in the context of the European Union's efforts to strengthen democracy, integration, and identity. The Idea of the Public Sphere offers a wide-ranging, accessible, and easy-to-use introduction to one of the most influential ideas in modern social and political thought, tracing its development from the origins of modern democracy in the Eighteenth Century to present day debates. This book brings key texts by the leading contributors in the field together in a single volume. It explores current topics such as the role of religion in public affairs, the implications of the internet for organizing public deliberation, and the transnationalisation of public issues.