Communicating evidence? On the interaction of politics, data and the public

Abstract

Using the example of a fairly recent case of (data-based) political decision-making in Germany, namely the so called ‘energy transition’, I shall analyse how data are used in the communication processes between politics and the public. Based on the well-known notion of statistical literacy as well as on the seminal work of Nowotny, Stehr and Weingart, I shall present a sociological model that will help to understand both the importance of data and the (tacit) assumptions about citizens and their statistical skills. Pointing out problems that arise when taking these assumptions for granted, I shall propose a refined perspective of how statistical literacy should be discussed and implemented in an educational context. As a result of my analysis, I shall suggest broadening the very construct of statistical literacy.