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Item type:Publication, Expert Knowledge in Democracies: Promises, Limits, and Conflict(Annual Reviews, 2025-06-17)The article reviews recent literature on bureaucratic experts as political actors in democracies, with a focus on their complex, sometimes conflictive relationships with politicians. First, we present the central promises of expertise for democratic governance: its alleged objectivity, responsiveness to the common good, and effectiveness. Then, we look into two criticisms of this optimistic and apolitical view: Expertise is neither as unbiased nor as effective as claimed. Building on a more political understanding of experts' power in democracies, we then discuss two topics that illustrate experts' relationships with politicians: ( a ) the conditions and political dynamics that cause changes in technical policy areas' influence, preferences, and institutional arrangements (or even experts' demise) and ( b ) how challenging experts' power is for democracy and elected politicians. We conclude with suggestions for future research and a call to find more common ground between the literatures focusing on experts and politics.1