Science's Growing Political Strength

摘要

The past decade has been a period of significant change in science, science policy, and science advocacy. Terms such as bioinformatics, Bose condensates, genomics, nanotechnology, super-symmetries, and wavelets, which were barely in the lexicon 10 years ago, are buzzwords of the 21st century. The White House has shifted from Republican to Democrat to Republican, with accompanying upheavals in policy and management priorities. Most important, scientists have become much more politically savvy, developing effective advocacy groups that drive federal policies and budgets through grassroots lobbying, media initiatives, and Capitol Hill events.