Science in Public Affairs 



It is infinitely sensitive to the movements of public 

 opinion; but it almost never initiates anything; 

 and it does not even formulate ideas till they 

 have long been the common property of edu- 

 cated people. Parliament is admirably fitted to 

 acclimatise scientific conceptions to the adminis- 

 trative machinery, and to the common opinion 

 and moral atmosphere of the country. But it is 

 not an originative body ; and it could not become 

 so without ceasing to be the fitting instrument 

 of popular government which, on the whole, it 

 perhaps is, and which it increasingly tends to 

 become. 



The work of originating scientific proposals 

 for reform, and of securing scientific criticism of 

 institutions and policies, is left, on the whole, to 

 voluntary effort. It cannot, indeed, be forgotten 

 that among the permanent officials in the Govern- 

 ment offices who form, in many respects, the most 

 essential and valuable element in our machinery 

 of government, there are many highly- qualified 

 experts who are at the disposal of the ministers 

 of the day, and who render them indispensable 

 service. But their duty, speaking generally, is to 

 supervise rather than to originate ; and this is 

 even more true of their general tendency and dis- 

 position. Their great function, indeed, is to be 

 the depositaries of the tradition of government, 

 and to maintain the efficiency of administration 

 and the general continuity of policy through the 

 changes of political atmosphere and the alterna- 

 tions of the political heads of departments. They 



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