Knowledge and Policy in the Netherlands

Abstract

Producing evidence by doing research seems to be a simple and straightforward way of “speaking truth to power” (Wildavsky 1979). In this dual model, politics and policies represent the world of power, whereas science and research represent the world of facts. The reality of research and policy relations, however, is much more complex. Politics and policy-related research are intertwined, and the success and failure of research is dependent on both the quality of evidence and political factors. This article analyzes the complexity of research and policy relations in the Netherlands. It will focus on the research of the Netherlands Institute for Spatial Research and its role in spatial planning.