Examining the formulation of American public policies on scientific and technological issues, Barke poses and answers three questions: How do scientific issues become matters of public concern and debate? How is scientific information used in policymaking? and How does the public sector manage scientific endeavors? He uses a general framework of four types of constraints to explore the characteristics of science and technology policies. He applies the framework to Congress, the President and the Executive Office, the bureaucracy, the courts, the public, and scientists as participants in the science and technology process, and discusses the powers, limitations, and interactions with other participants. The author also assesses proposed reforms, and includes case studies covering legislation on hazardous wastes and the Space Telescope, scheduled for launch in l988. ISBN 0-87187-394-X: $10.95.