Of Issue Advocates and Honest Brokers: Participation of U.S. and German scientists in COVID-19 policy disputes

The study examines the intersection of science and politics by analyzing the involvement of <i>N</i> = 205 U.S. and <i>N</i> = 174 German scientists in policy disputes during the COVID-19 pandemic. I investigate how scientists integrate themselves into policy disputes. Through a survey, I identify four groups of scientists with specific self-images regarding their roles in policy disputes: <i>Moderate Mainstreamers, Issue Advisors, Issue Advocates, and Honest Brokers</i>. Furthermore, the findings reveal differences in how these groups of scientists perceive the importance of science in policy-making: Particularly U.S.-based <i>Issue Advocates</i> wish for science to direct policy-making. In addition, I find that pandemic researchers overwhelmingly do not support political causes by selectively communicating political advice. I present empirically evidence that pandemic researchers sought to clarify the relevance of research during the pandemic, but did not attempt to distort policy disputes dishonestly.