Routledge Revivals
Social Research and Royal Commissions
Social scientists have proposed several different models for the relationship between social science theory, empirical social research and the actual making of public social policy. This book, first published in 1980, seeks to provide a critical analysis of the impact of research on policy through the detailed examination of the part which research played in the work of Royal Commissions of Inquiry, the bodies set up by government to consider, gather evidence on, report and make recommendations about specific policy areas. This titles varied and stimulating chapters will serve to shed considerable light, not all of it positive, upon the potential contribution of the social sciences to the practice of government. This book will be of interest to students of the social sciences, particularly sociology and politics.
Social Research and Royal Commissions
Edited by
Martin Bulmer
First published in 1980
by George Allen & Unwin Ltd
This edition first published in 2015 by Routledge
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Selection, editorial matter, Chapter 1 and Chapter 11 1980 M. I. A. Bulmer
Chapter 2 and Chapter 5 1968, 1969 New Science Publications
Chapter 3 1980 L. J. Sharpe
Chapter 4 1980 H. Acland
Chapter 6 1980 P. R. Hall
Chapter 7 1980 A. D. J. Flowerdew
Chapter 8 1973 G. Rhodes
Chapter 9 1980 J. Tunstall
Chapter 10 1980 O. R. McGregor
Chapter 12 1978 National and Commercial Banking Group Ltd
The right of Martin Bulmer to be identified as editor of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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A Library of Congress record exists under LC control number: 79041713
ISBN 13: 978-1-138-90306-7 (hbk)
ISBN 13: 978-1-315-69712-3 (ebk)
Social Research and Royal Commissions
Edited by
MARTIN BULMER
First published in 1980
This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. All rights are reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned address:
GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD
40 Museum Street, London WC1A 1LU
Selection, editorial matter, Chapter 1 and Chapter 11
M. I. A. Bulmer 1980
Chapter 2 New Science Publications, 1968, and Chapter 5 New Science Publications, 1969; Chapter 3 L. J. Sharpe, 1980; Chapter 4 H. Acland, 1980; Chapter 6 P. R. Hall, 1980; Chapter 7 A. D. J. Flowerdew, 1980; Chapter 8 G. Rhodes, 1973; Chapter 9 J. Tunstall, 1980; Chapter 10 O. R. McGregor, 1980; Chapter 12 National and Commercial Banking Group Ltd, 1978
All other material George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd, 1980
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Social research and royal commissions.
1. Governmental investigations Great Britain Case studies
2. Social science research Great Britain Case studies 3. Policy sciences Case studies
I. Bulmer, Martin
300.7241 JN329.G/ 79-41713
ISBN 0-04-351055-8
Typeset in 10 on 11 point Times by Red Lion Setters, London
and printed in Great Britain by
Biddles Ltd, Guildford, Surrey
Contents
Martin Bulmer
David Donnison
L.J. Sharpe
Henry Acland
Andrew Shonfield
Phoebe Hall
A. D. J. Flowerdew
Gerald Rhodes
Jeremy Tunstall
O. R. McGregor
Martin Bulmer
A. R. Prest
The origins of this book lie in a general interest which I developed while working on an earlier collection of papers, published as Social Policy Research (Macmillan, 1978). What impact does social research have on public policy, and how is any impact which it does have exerted? What is meant by research in this context, and what part does theoretical social science play in such research activity? Different models of the relationship between social research and social policy have been proposed, to my mind the most illuminating by Morris Janowitz and Carol H. Weiss. Much might be gained in assessing their usefulness, it seemed, from a more detailed examination of the part which research had played in Royal Commissions and Departmental Committees of Inquiry, particularly since the role of research, and the experience of those charged with conducting such research, seemed to have been so variable between commissions.
The work of commissions had been analysed in general terms in R. A. Chapman (ed.), The Role of Commissions in Policy-Making (Allen & Unwin, 1973), G. Rhodes, Committees of Inquiry (Allen & Unwin, 1975) and T. J. Cartwright, Royal Commissions and Departmental Committees in Britain (Hodder & Stoughton, 1975). None of the three had, however, devoted significant attention to the role of social research in the work of commissions, except for one chapter by Cartwright which oddly includes as research visits of inspection. The broader American perspective provided by M. Komarovsky (ed.), Sociology and Public Policy: The Case of the Presidential Commissions (New York: Elsevier, 1975) was a reminder that many issues in relation to Britain remained untreated, and that there was scope to explore them through analysing one particular kind of application.
The selection of British commissions in this volume was partly indicated by the importance of particular inquiries, partly by the role which social research played in particular commissions, and partly by the availability of authors. Apart from direct approaches which I made myself, I am also grateful to my colleague Howard Glennerster and to L. J. Sharpe for suggestions about whom to invite. In addition to those appearing here, I am indebted to Lord MacCarthy, who talked to me about his experiences as Research Director for the Donovan Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers Associations (19658), and to Lord Diamond, the Chairman and Mr N. S. Forward, the Secretary, of the Standing Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth (set up in 1974), an interview with whom forms the basis of .
