Risk management is one of the most difficult and challenging tasks confronting industrial nations today. Most hazardous technologies confer substantial benefits on society in the form of better health, increased productivity and, in general, a higher quality of life. A socially acceptable management strategy has to consider both the positive and the negative impacts of technology. This comparative study looks at efforts to regulate carcinogenic chemicals in several Western democracies, including the US, and finds marked national differences in how conflicting scientific interpretations and competing political interests are resolved. Whether risk issues are referred to expert committes without public debate or debated openly in a variety of forums, patterns of interaction among experts, policy makers and the public reflect fundamental features of each country’s political culture.