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Making a Crisis out of a Drama: The Political Analysis of BSE Policy‐Making in the UK

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  • Ian Forbes

Abstract

Political analysis presents the episode of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) as a crisis, a policy failure and a policy disaster, revealing fundamental problems with the political and administrative system in the UK. Associated with this finding is the view that trust in government has been damaged by the failure to communicate fully the potential risks to the public of eating beef. These conventional judgements are challenged here, on the basis of an exploration of the episode, the findings of the official inquiry into BSE, and the relationship between risk and trust. I conclude that the drama over BSE and variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease does not amount to a crisis, a failure or a disaster, and cannot serve as a critique of the UK political system. Instead, the complexity of the case suggests that it is an intractable policy problem.

Suggested Citation

  • Ian Forbes, 2004. "Making a Crisis out of a Drama: The Political Analysis of BSE Policy‐Making in the UK," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 52(2), pages 342-357, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:polstu:v:52:y:2004:i:2:p:342-357
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2004.00483.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Erik Millstone & Patrick van Zwanenberg, 2001. "Politics of expert advice: Lessons from the early history of the BSE saga," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 28(2), pages 99-112, April.
    2. Hood, Christopher & Rothstein, Henry & Baldwin, Robert, 2004. "The Government of Risk: Understanding Risk Regulation Regimes," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199270019.
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