The Republican War on Science

by Chris Mooney

Hardcover, 2005

Status

Available

Genres

Science & Nature

General Nonfiction

Politics, Government, Law and Public Policy

Nonfiction

Academic: History

All Topics

Religion & Spirituality

History

Collection

Vince Matulionis Collection

Publication

Basic Books (2005), 352 pages

Description

Science. Nonfiction. HTML:Science has never been more crucial to deciding the political issues facing the country. Yet science and scientists have less influence with the federal government than at any time since Richard Nixon fired his science advisors. In the White House and Congress today, findings are reported in a politicized manner; spun or distorted to fit the speaker�??s agenda; or, when they�??re too inconvenient, ignored entirely. On a broad array of issues-stem cell research, climate change, evolution, sex education, product safety, environmental regulation, and many others-the Bush administration�??s positions fly in the face of overwhelming scientific consensus. Federal science agencies-once fiercely independent under both Republican and Democratic presidents-are increasingly staffed by political appointees who know industry lobbyists and evangelical activists far better than they know the science. This is not unique to the Bush administration, but it is largely a Republican phenomenon, born of a conservative dislike of environmental, health, and safety regulation, and at the extremes, of evolution and legalized abortion. In The Republican War on Science, Chris Mooney ties together the disparate strands of the attack on science into a compelling and frightening account of our government�??s increasing unwillingness to distinguish between legitimate research and ideologically driven ps… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member johnnylogic

Essential reading for scientists and progressives. See his weblog, The Intersection, for updates on the ongoing battle.

4 more

LibraryThing member cmc

A straightforward description of the (largely successful) attempts of the Republican Party to suppress, manipulate, and deny scientific theories and facts in favor of opinions that satisfy or advance the interests of either or both of their primary constituent groups—right-wing fundamentalist

christians or business.

Clear and depressing.

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LibraryThing member cfink

Mooney sets out to prove the Bush administration's ignorance and manipulation of science for the sake of policies. His point is clear, and clearly made. The book could have been shorter; once his point was made.

LibraryThing member Devil_llama

Funny, I didn't remember that I'd read this book until I went back through my common place book. I have read a number of articles by Mooney, but have been struck by the lack of in-depth thought he puts into his analyses; if this was the same way, perhaps that's why it didnt' stick with me.

LibraryThing member MarkBeronte

Science has never been more crucial to deciding the political issues facing the country. Yet science and scientists have less influence with the federal government than at any time since Richard Nixon fired his science advisors. In the White House and Congress today, findings are reported in a

politicized manner; spun or distorted to fit the speaker’s agenda; or, when they’re too inconvenient, ignored entirely. On a broad array of issues-stem cell research, climate change, evolution, sex education, product safety, environmental regulation, and many others-the Bush administration’s positions fly in the face of overwhelming scientific consensus. Federal science agencies-once fiercely independent under both Republican and Democratic presidents-are increasingly staffed by political appointees who know industry lobbyists and evangelical activists far better than they know the science. This is not unique to the Bush administration, but it is largely a Republican phenomenon, born of a conservative dislike of environmental, health, and safety regulation, and at the extremes, of evolution and legalized abortion. In The Republican War on Science, Chris Mooney ties together the disparate strands of the attack on science into a compelling and frightening account of our government’s increasing unwillingness to distinguish between legitimate research and ideologically driven pseudoscience.

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