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Are we losing what made America great?
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The Top American Science Questions: 2012
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Innovation |
Climate Change | Research and the Future |
Education |
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| 1. Innovation and the Economy. Science and technology have been responsible for over half of the growth of the U.S. economy since WWII, when the federal government first prioritized peacetime science mobilization. But several recent reports question America’s continued leadership in these vital areas. What policies will best ensure that America remains a world leader in innovation? |
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| To continue America’s role in innovation and economic leadership, we should remove government obstacles to innovation, streamline and improve the patent process and continue to partner in research and development. The U.S. should also improve our education system, especially by making science, technology, engineering and math more attractive for students and by rewarding quality teachers. | |||
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| 2. Climate Change. The Earth’s climate is changing and there is concern about the potentially adverse effects of these changes on life on the planet. What is your position on cap-and-trade, carbon taxes, and other policies proposed to address global climate change—and what steps can we take to improve our ability to tackle challenges like climate change that cross national boundaries? |
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| I oppose cap-and-trade, carbon taxes and other tax penalties to address climate change. Government policy can encourage environmentalism by supporting research and development in alternative energies and by being good stewards of public lands. Internationally, we should further assist nations with the development and implementation of technologies that enhance our world environment. | |||
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| 3. Research and the Future. Federally funded research has helped to produce America’s major postwar economies and to ensure our national security, but today the UK, Singapore, China, and Korea are making competitive investments in research. Given that the next Congress will face spending constraints, what priority would you give to investment in research in your upcoming budgets? |
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| Research remains vital to our American economic development. To stretch limited resources, we can leverage our investments by incentivizing the private sector, rewarding research innovation and domestic manufacturing and partnering with the private sector. | |||
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| 4. Education. Increasingly, the global economy is driven by science, technology, engineering and math, but a recent comparison of 15-year-olds in 65 countries found that average science scores among U.S. students ranked 23rd, while average U.S. math scores ranked 31st. In your view, why have American students fallen behind over the last three decades, and what role should the federal government play to better prepare students of all ages for the science and technology-driven global economy? |
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| To better prepare our children for the global economy, we should discourage policies that dumb down education curricula and redirect financial aid to those whose careers are directed toward science and technology fields. We must also do a better job of recruiting, educating and retaining qualified teachers. Too many students have a weak foundation in science and technology and are unable to develop their knowledge in those fields.
From a Federal perspective, education decisions are best handled at the local level as communities have different needs and resources. Federal policy should encourage school choice, require baseline achievement standards to receive Federal money and promote academic innovation by the states. |
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| 5. Energy. Many policymakers and scientists say energy security and sustainability are major problems facing the United States this century. What policies would you support to meet the demand for energy while ensuring an economically and environmentally sustainable future? |
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| It is vital that America continue to work toward energy independence and future sustainability. In the short term, the Federal government can encourage increased use of nuclear energy by streamlining the permitting process and by backing necessary financing to get new facilities online. We should also encourage and incentivize domestic energy production. In the longer term, prudent investments in new technologies should continue. American innovation can and should lead the way to energy independence. | |||
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| 6. Fresh Water. Less than one percent of the world’s water is liquid fresh water, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of U.S. and global fresh water is now at risk because of increasing consumption, evaporation and pollution. What steps, if any, should the federal government take to secure clean, abundant fresh water for all Americans? | |||
| Again, technology and innovation can solve the fresh water problem. | |||
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| 7. The Internet. The Internet plays a central role in both our economy and our society. What role, if any, should the federal government play in managing the Internet to ensure its robust social, scientific, and economic role? |
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| The government should not manage the internet and should resist any burdensome regulations, except for the monitoring for explicitly illegal material. The Federal Government should ensure cybersecurity. | |||
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| 8. Science in Public Policy. We live in an era when science and technology affect every aspect of life and society, and so must be included in well-informed public policy decisions. How will you ensure that policy and regulatory decisions are fully informed by the best available scientific and technical information, and that the public is able to evaluate the basis of these policy decisions? |
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| We can ensure that the best scientific data and technologies are used in public policy decisions by maintaining our free and open society and press and by drawing on the best available public and private sector resources. Public input and evaluation remains fundamental to the health of our democracy. We must maintain an educated and informed public and continue to expand transparency. |
