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Science Policy Resources



Sure, It's Rocket Science, but Who Needs Scientists?
New York Times, June 17, 2001. "[M]any scientists in the United States ... conclude that the current administration is uninterested in scientific research or its conclusions." (Requires free registration)
Science: the Endless Frontier
The ideas set out by Vannevar Bush's 1945 policy document have been the basis for US science policy for over 50 years.
Science, Money, and Politics : Political Triumph and Ethical Erosion
by Daniel S. Greenberg. From 9/01 Scientific American Review: "Dan Greenberg's profoundly important new book depicts American 'Big Science' as a classic self-perpetuating bureaucracy--bloated, whiny and self-important. This bureaucracy defends big (and sometimes indefensible) budgets by weaving scare stories about national scientific 'illiteracy,' questionable 'shortages' of scientific personnel, and imaginary threats from foreign competitors. Greenberg quotes an official of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget: 'With the possible exception of veterans, farmers, and college students, there is no group that squeals more loudly over a reduction of federal subsidies than scientists. They are the quintessential special interest group, and in effect, they make the oil industry look like a piker.'"
Bloated, Whiny and Self-Important
Is the scientific bureaucracy the quintessential special-interest group? Scientific American, 9/01. A review by Keay Davidson of Daniel Greenberg's book, Science, Money, and Politics: Political Triumph and Ethical Erosion. (Review reprinted on Amazon.com)