Risk Assessment from a Congressional Perspective

Abstract

Congress is becoming increasingly aware of the use of new tools such as risk assessment¹ to assist them in their public policy making function. The growing complexities of our technologies and their possible impacts to our economic, environmental and social systems have made the task of formulating public policy with respect to their use nearly impossible. Thus, as government has become more concerned with technology, technology has become more political. Because the process of formulating public policy on the important issues is dependent on the comprehensibility of relevant information, the collection, analysis and presentation of that information is essential in order that intelligent options can be evaluated and the appropriate courses of action chosen.