Politics and the erosion of federal scientific capacity: restoring scientific integrity to public health science.
Our nation's health and prosperity are based on a foundation of independent scientific discovery. Yet in recent years, political interference in federal government science has become widespread, threatening this legacy. We explore the ways science has been misused, the attempts to measure the pervasiveness of this problem, and the effects on our long-term capacity to meet today's most complex public health challenges. Good government and a functioning democracy require public policy decisions to be informed by independent science. The scientific and public health communities must speak out to defend taxpayer-funded science from political interference. Encouragingly, both the scientific community and Congress are exploring ways to restore scientific integrity to federal policymaking.
Rest
Kathleen M
KM
Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, Mass, USA.
Halpern
Michael H
MH
D022126:Access to Information; D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D002980:Climate; D033161:Government Regulation; D008630:Mercury Poisoning; D011050:Policy Making; D011057:Politics; D011634:Public Health; D011640:Public Policy; D012586:Science / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D035502:Trust; D014481:United States; D014483:United States Dept. of Health and Human Services; D037041:United States Government Agencies