ABSTRACT

This chapter first discusses the need for science advice. The science office was established by President Eisenhower in response to the traumatic shock from the Russian Sputnik launch in 1957. After President John F. Kennedy's assassination, the Office of Science and Technology, or the Office of Science and Technology Policy, ceased to be a strong component of White House decision-making. The pattern of America's selfish-interest-constituency democracy causes the government to act on a political expediency basis rather than through steady, consistent, well-thought-out policies. A science "policy" office does not fit well into a White House that operates this way. Doing little policy formulation of significance has become the way of life because originating policy implies making long-term plans that will be adhered to and because conjuring up policies satisfactory to diverse political constituents is so difficult. The chapter also discusses how Americans greatly improved their White House handling of issues having important science and technology ingredients.