Science and Technology in the Legislatures: A Review of Seven SSET (State Science, Engineering and Technology) Implementation Projects

摘要

This text assesses seven projects funded by the National Science Foundation through its State Science, Engineering and Technology (SSET) Program to implement improvements in the legislative use of scientific and technological (S&T) expertise and information. These projects were implemented by the legislatures in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, and Washington. Analysis reveals that Federal seed money can be a powerful catalyst for institutional innovations. The projects addressed important legislative concerns, involved key individuals, and were extremely responsive to the particular needs and characters of each legislature. Results suggest that legislators do not need more or even better information, but methods that help them assimilate and use information, especially technical information. These broad areas were shown to be fruitful by the SSET projects: modes of presentation, technical staff development, and political support.