The basic structures and procedures of science and technology policymaking are presented in detail in a new report from the Congressional Research Service. See “Science and Technology Policymaking: A Primer” (pdf), April 18, 2008.
Other noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available online include the following (all pdf).
“Information Security and Data Breach Notification Safeguards,” updated April 3, 2008.
“Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Current Structure and Alternatives,” updated April 1, 2008.
“Data Mining and Homeland Security: An Overview,” updated April 3, 2008.
“Security Implications of Taiwan’s Presidential Election of March 2008,” April 4, 2008.
January saw us watching whether the government would fund science. February has been about how that funding will be distributed, regulated, and contested.
This rule gives agencies significantly more authority over certain career policy roles. Whether that authority improves accountability or creates new risks depends almost entirely on how agencies interrupt and apply it.
Our environmental system was built for 1970s-era pollution control, but today it needs stable, integrated, multi-level governance that can make tradeoffs, share and use evidence, and deliver infrastructure while demonstrating that improved trust and participation are essential to future progress.
Durable and legitimate climate action requires a government capable of clearly weighting, explaining, and managing cost tradeoffs to the widest away of audiences, which in turn requires strong technocratic competency.