Does Science Policy Matter? It Would If We Had a Real Science Policy, But What We Have Now is Science Politics

The author argues that while marginal science research and development budget changes may be important indicators of science's internal politics, they indicate little, if anything, about the health as the science enterprise as a whole, particularly the science enterprise's capacity to contribute to a wide social goal array justifying society's scientific investment. He believes that federal science policy currently resembles federal science budget policy. The article includes discussion of groups advocating for both budget and issues, and how increased budgets may be taken for increased advances in science. The author argues that uneven distribution of science's positive and negative effects makes justifying the primacy of "how much" more difficult. He argues that the most fundamental science policy question should be a particular science policy decision's capacity to advance a given desirable outcome.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07485492
• Authors:
  • Sarewitz, Daniel
• Publication Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 31-38
• Serial:
  • Issues in Science and Technology
  • Volume: 23
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: University of Texas at Dallas
  • ISSN: 0748-5492
  • Serial URL: http://www.issues.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advocacy groups; Budgeting; Federal government; Investments; Policy; Science; Strategic planning; Technology
• Uncontrolled Terms: Research and development; Society; Support (Advocate)
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Law; Operations and Traffic Management; Policy; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01055456
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 14 2007 4:46PM