'A sweeping, yet intellectually precise and honest overview on when and how scientific knowledge influences policy making, ranging from Keynesianism to eugenics and climate change. Knowledge as 'lever for action' remains a precious resource - as contentious as it is desperately needed.' Helga Nowotny, President, European Research Council
'With their emphasis on the development of theory-driven knowledge for policy use, Grundmann and Stehr provide nothing less than the epistemological foundations of the modern welfare state. In no other book will the reader find such a unified account of the twentieth century's signature knowledge-based policy debates - Keynesianism, race science and climate change.' Steve Fuller, University of Warwick