Can I read Sanctified Snake Oil : the Effect of Junk Science on Public Policy on EtoBox?

Sanctified Snake Oil : the Effect of Junk Science on Public Policy by Susan Kiss Sarnoff is a book available to read on EtoBox.

What is Sanctified Snake Oil : the Effect of Junk Science on Public Policy about?

<p>Government supported junk social science-or sanctified snake oil as Sarnoff terms it-exists in all policy arenas along the entire political spectrum, as policy advocates seek to justify the continuation of ineffective programs and to block alternative solutions. This form of junk science is particularly dangerous and wasteful in terms of tax dollars because professional confirmation, media investigation and government support lend it an unwarranted imprimatur of validity. Sarnoff argues that it confuses the public and convinces them to support programs as ends in themselves, rather than determining whether or not such efforts actually achieve purported goals.</p> <p>Ineffectiveness, incompetence, lack of technology, ideology masquerading as policy, and even outright fraud serve to perpetuate the general confusion. This situation is exacerbated by the proliferation of media attention, much of it unmonitored for accuracy or bias. Sanctified snake oil, Sarnoff contends, spawns industries that drain public resources and attention from real, serious cases and distort public perceptions of the magnitude of the issues involved. This study sheds new light on this muddle and offers recom

Author

Susan Kiss Sarnoff

Publisher

Praeger Publishers; Praeger

Published

2001

Language

EN

ISBN

9780275968458

Subjects

Political Science, Science, Sociology