Technological Democracy: Bureaucracy and Citizenry in the German Energy Debate (Social History, Popular Culture, And Politics In Germany)

By: Carol J. Hager

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Synopsis: What are the prospects for democratic participation in the modern technological state? Is technology a force of emancipation or enslavement? Intellectuals such as Max Weber have prophesied that complex issues would ultimately be decided by technical experts instead of by those who were affected or their political representatives—and that politics would give way to technocracy. Technological Democracy explores the connection between environmental and democratizing concerns in Germany, to see what answers environmental groups might provide to the question of the citizen's role in a technological society. The volume explores the ways in which lay citizens can participate in policy decisions of a technical nature, and whether in doing so they can repoliticize and democratize those policy areas that have become the territory of experts. Technological Democracy will be of interest to scholars and students in German history, political science, and sociology.