Government and Science: A Troubled, Critical Relationship and What Can Be Done about It

The U.S. government–science relationship, which helped win World War II, put a man on the moon, unravel the human genome, and nurture economic growth, is troubled. Money is one reason. However, far more than funding, the tensions between government and science are about politics and policy management. Many scientists and their allies argue that the Bush administration has crossed the line separating appropriate control of information from political interference. That is, there has been a “politicization of science.” This essay examines the current debate about politicization in historical context; discusses the tensions among scientists, politicians, and administrators; and suggests possible ways to strengthen the government–science partnership in the future.

[1]  D. Joravsky.  The Lysenko Affair , 1972 .

[2]  J. Pielke.  The Honest Broker: Making Sense of Science in Policy and Politics , 2007 .

[3]  Albert O. Hirschman,et al.  Exit, Voice, and Loyalty , 1970 .

[4]  W. George.  Th e First MBA President: George W. Bush as Public Administrator , 2007 .

[5]  W. Henry Lambright,et al.  Administrative Entrepreneurship and Space Technology: The Ups and Downs of "Mission to Planet Earth." , 1994 .

[6]  Freeman J. Dyson,et al.  Infinite in All Directions , 1988 .

[7]  S. Jasanoff.  Designs on Nature , 2005 .

[8]  W. Lambright.  Governing science and technology , 1976 .

[9]  D. Guston.  Between Politics and Science: Assuring the Integrity and Productivity of Reseach , 2000 .

[10]  D. Price.  The Scientific Estate , 1966, Nature.

[11]  D. King,et al.  Taking Science Out of the Box--Foresight Recast , 2007, Science.

[12]  D. MacKenzie,et al.  The social shaping of technology : how the refrigerator got its hum , 1985 .

[13]  S. Breyer.  Breaking the Vicious Circle: Toward Effective Risk Regulation , 1993 .

[14]  Richard A Kerr,et al.  Scientists Tell Policymakers We're All Warming the World , 2007, Science.

[15]  J G Gunnell.  The technocratic image and the theory of technocracy. , 1982, Technology and culture.

[16]  R. Kerr.  Pushing the Scary Side of Global Warming , 2007, Science.

[17]  Roger D. Launius.  Space Stations: Base Camps to the Stars , 2003 .

[18]  S. Hurtley.  The Power of Green , 2009 .

[19]  A. Hirschman,et al.  Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States , 1970 .

[20]  Alan D. Attie,et al.  The Republican War on Science , 2005 .

[21]  J. P. Pfiffner,et al.  The First MBA President: George W. Bush as Public Administrator , 2007 .

[22]  S. Begley.  The truth about denial. , 2007, Newsweek.

[23]  Daniel Sarewitz,et al.  Frontiers of illusion , 1996 .

[24]  S. Jasanoff.  Designs on Nature , 2005 .

[25]  J. Holdren,et al.  Energy and Sustainability , 2007, Science.