THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE POLICY SCIENCES

Can the work of policy analysts and program evaluators be made more relevant to the citizenry? Peter deLeon believes it is possible to reduce the isolation of analysts, who often produce assessments and recommendations that seem out of touch with the needs and wants of the public they serve. He calls for a ''participatory policy analysis'' that would open the process to greater input and involvement in situations where such an approach is feasible. While admitting that such democratization is more difficult in practice than in concept, deLeon notes that the legitimacy of the policy analyst's endeavor is what is at stake.