ABSTRACT
While the importance of scientific considerations in helping to clarify and resolve national policy issues may be widely acknowledged, there is still no consistent mechanism for bringing scientific insights to bear on decision-making at the Presidential level. Congress attempted to solve some of the problems identified by Beckler and others when it established the present science advisory system in 1976. It tried to improve the Science Advisor's access to the President by designating that individual as head of an Executive Office agency (OSTP) in parallel with, for example, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget or the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. Despite the evident craftsmanship of the OSTP Act, Congress has been unable to guarantee that the scientific implications of national policy issues will receive sustained attention not only by the President and his political advisors, but also by senior policy level officials throughout the federal government.
