‘Political’ Science – Science Policy in the Federal Government

This course will cover the basics of science in the federal government and cover the following topics:

• The history of science policy, particularly as it gained prominence during World War II and the influence of Vannevar Bush on the early development of government science.
• Major federal scientific agencies (e.g. NSF, DOE, NIH, NASA, NOAA, EPA).
• Science policy agencies such as the Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Security Council, Council of Environmental Quality, House Science Committee, and the former Office of Technology Assessment.
• The use of science in government rule and regulatory affairs.
• The ‘politicization’ of science and the treatment (or lack thereof) of science in political campaigns.
• The role of scientific non-government organizations (e.g. World Wildlife Fund, National Resource Defense Council, profession societies such as the American Chemical Society) will also be discussed.