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Expert legitimacy and competing legitimation in Italian school reforms

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  • Maria Tullia Galanti

Abstract

In the face of the complexities of problem-solving , experts are gaining centrality in policymaking (Weiss, 1979). At the same time, they are increasingly challenged in their legitimacy, which is not only technical but also political. Challenges to the legitimacy of experts suggest that other types of legitimacy are important for policymaking. Issues of legitimacy are particularly important for sound policymaking when the authority of experts and the value of evidence are contested and when the debate over policy solutions is particularly conflictual and ideological. In this paper, I use three exploratory cases of the use of expertise in education policy in Italy to show how policymakers design different advisory committees to enhance different types of legitimacy (epistemic, bureaucratic, and political). The findings suggest that while policymakers design advisory committees primarily to meet their legitimacy needs, the legitimacy of a decision requires different types of sources to generate consent and to allow for the impact of expertise.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Tullia Galanti, 2023. "Expert legitimacy and competing legitimation in Italian school reforms," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 42(3), pages 288-302.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:polsoc:v:42:y:2023:i:3:p:288-302.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/polsoc/puad024
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cash, David & Clark, William & Alcock, Frank & Dickson, Nancy & Eckley, Noelle & Jager, Jill, 2002. "Salience, Credibility, Legitimacy and Boundaries: Linking Research, Assessment and Decision Making," Working Paper Series rwp02-046, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
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    4. Paul Cairney & Federico Toth, 2023. "The politics of COVID-19 experts: comparing winners and losers in Italy and the UK," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 42(3), pages 392-405.
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