Technology Assessment—What It Means to the Civil Engineer

Whereas our system may indeed be in need of an evolutionary overhaul, anyone who believes that the future power-center of our policy and decision-making process can be anywhere but in the socio-political system is fooling himself. We must think of the concept of technology assessment not as something in lieu of, or separate from the political system, but as a well-integrated part of it, as one of the means to help the political system be more responsive to the people, and become more efficient. Only in this manner will the socio-political system accept the technology assessment concept; only in this manner can the concept of technology assessment take root and make badly needed contributions to our way of life. The classical civil engineer, based on his concern with the integration of many hard-to-relate considerations, could, if he wanted to, carve out a significant role for himself in this new movement called Technology Assessment.