Technocracy, Democracy, and U.S. Climate Politics: The Need for Demarcations

Ulrich Beck and other theoristso f reflexivem odernizationa re allies in the general project
to reduce technocracy and elitism by rendering decision making more democratic
and robust. However, this study of U.S. climate politics reveals complexities and obstacles
to the sort of democratized decision making envisioned by such theorists. Since the
early 1990s, the U.S. public has been subjected to numerous media-driven campaigns to
shape understandingso f this widelyp erceived threat.P olitical interestsh ave instigated
an importantp art of these campaigns,f requentlyr esortingt o ethicallyp roblematict actics
to undermine attempts atpolicy action designed to avert or reduce the threat. The disproportionate
influence of such interests suggests the needfor a more level political playing
field characterized by more equalized access to power and influence.