Taking stock of the moment for science and science policy.
Aaron F. Mertz is the founder and executive director of the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program.
Jylana L. Sheats is the clinical associate professor of social, behavioral, and population sciences in the Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the associate director at the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program.
Cary Funk is the senior advisor for public engagement with science at the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program.
Corey S. Powell is the project editor at Nautilus, and the co-founder of OpenMind magazine.
The Aspen Institute is delighted to collaborate with Nautilus magazine on “Science at the Ballot Box,” a special series of articles exploring what is at stake for science and science policy in the upcoming United States election and beyond. In addition, please see the recordings of our related events on The Future of Science and Healthcare (held at Cure. in New York City) and Taking Stock of Election 2024: Challenges and Opportunities for Science (held at the 2024 IFoRE conference in Washington, DC).
Science informs every aspect of governments’ efforts to protect the public and to improve our lives—sometimes in ways that are obvious, sometimes not. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration draws on research studies and clinical trials to regulate the safety of new drugs and medical devices, as well as to evaluate their effectiveness for treating specific diseases and conditions. The Environmental Protection Agency uses scientific data to shape the standards that ensure the public has clean air and water. America’s armed forces depend heavily on science and technology to keep our nation safe with cutting-edge equipment and intelligence-gathering tools.
Even the daily operations of the government (from delivering mail and packages to moving people smoothly through airport checkpoints) benefit from science-rooted innovations. On every level, our lives are touched by choices we make about how to support research and about how to incorporate scientific insights into the law of the land.
In “Science at the Ballot Box,” thought leaders from the Aspen Institute and other leading organizations take stock of where we stand today and where promising opportunities lie ahead.
The series highlights the voices of people using science to address civic issues in society, locally and nationally; leaders who are developing forward-looking policies to address climate change while making sure we have an abundant, reliable energy supply; scientists and tech developers who are grappling with the far-ranging implications of artificial intelligence in the workplace; and organizations that are building trust in science through personal engagement with the public.
In these articles, we will take a close look at the landscape of public opinion to better understand how Americans’ attitudes toward science are influenced by political affiliation, education, race, ethnicity, and age. We will also take a broad perspective to consider where the U.S. stands in global science and how it can continue to compete and to serve as an international leader. Some of the country’s most distinguished researchers will share detailed, deeply informed advice they would give the incoming president.
The Aspen Institute is politically neutral about the outcome of the upcoming election. We are nonprofit and nonpartisan, meaning that we don’t take sides or stand with one particular party. But we do believe strongly in the value of scientific research and rational decision-making. On the cusp of the 2024 election, we see this moment as an ideal opportunity to think deeply about the future role for science in society—not just over the next election cycle, but for many years to come.
- Advice to the Next President on How to Bolster American Science by Aaron F. Mertz; contributions compiled by Aaron F. Mertz and Kyler Zhou
- What’s at Stake for Science in the U.S. Presidential Election by Cary Funk
- How to Rebuild Trust in Science by Cary Funk and Jylana L. Sheats
- Looking Ahead to Combat Climate Change by Kitty Pollack and Greg Gershuny
- What AI Can Do for Your Country by Jylana L. Sheats
- Science for the People by Michael Akinwumi, Elizabeth Good Christopherson, Anna Dulencin, and Jon Kaye
- Preserving America’s Place in Global Science by Tobin Smith
This magazine is made possible with generous support from the Rita Allen Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and was found originally at Nautilus.
