The Future Is Now: Science And Technology Policy in America Since 1950

Since the creation of the National Science foundation in 1950, the federal government has acknowledged and supported the centrality of science and technology to the global competitiveness of the United States. In this important work, historians Alan I Marcus and Amy Sue Bix present illuminating case studies that highlight crucial policy patterns, shifts in emphasis, and debates over future directions of US science and technology policy. One major theme that emerges from these studies is that universities quickly became the main vehicles through which national science and technology policy was developed. As universities became involved in implementing federal policy, their role as educational institutions inevitably changed. Other themes include the effect of gender and minority concerns on policy, as well as the application of social science to selecting research agendas and technology initiatives. Marcus and Bix’s revealing analysis corrects the misperception that federa… More >>

The Future Is Now: Science And Technology Policy in America Since 1950