ABSTRACT
One of the most important aspects of the broad subject of science and public policy has been the convergence of science and technology and a unique political institution: the Presidency of the United States. The Apollo decision and his deep involvement in negotiating the limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty underscore Kennedy’s style in reaching out in all directions for advice. The Presidential agenda, while inherited in large part from Kennedy, began to change under Johnson as he attempted to carry out both the programs of his Great Society and to conduct an increasingly major war in Vietnam. At the beginning of his Presidency, it appeared that Nixon would raise the science advisory apparatus to the former influential status that it enjoyed under Eisenhower and Kennedy. After Nixon’s departure, Gerald R. Ford carne to the Presidency with a significantly different outlook on a large number of issues—including science and technology and science advice.
