Bounded deliberation in public committees: the case of experts

In this article, the participation of academic experts on Norwegian public committees is investigated to explore how their interpretation of the expert role affects the wider deliberations on such settings. These committees are commonly perceived as venues for the integration of organized interest on public policymaking. This study demonstrate, however, how the participation of experts on committees may contribute to alienate the explorative style of negotiation that is elsewhere described as typical for Norwegian corporatist decision-making. Despite being independent members, experts outlined their role in accordance with the professional values of their discipline, and acted as representatives of their profession on committees. This contributed to experts' bounded deliberation on these committees and the introduction of professional standards for judgment in the face of differences. The study is based on qualitative interviews with members of the past four committees advising on Norwegian climate policies.