Political Science
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Issue 132 September 2016 AUGUST A NEWSLETTER OF THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY , (RIGHT) Martin Schoeller/ REUTERS NATURAL SELECTIONSNATURAL Photo Credits:Photo (LEFT) Lucas Jackson/ Photo Illustration:Photo Nan Pang/ Political Science research at any stage are there in part because ments included Obama’s $300 million Preci- of a belief that the world can be improved by sion Medicine Initiative, the White House PAUL JENG the accumulation of objective truths, or at Brain Research through Advancing Innova- July was an exhausting month for anyone pay- least our best approximation of truths based tive Neurotechnologies brain-mapping proj- ing attention to the current presidential elec- on scientific evidence. In that regard, politics, ect, and Vice President Joe Biden’s $1 billion tion. Like many other Americans, I lived the —which is in some ways the exact opposite of Cancer Moonshot Project. Obviously, not all weeks surrounding the Republican and Dem- “objective”—would appear to have no seat at government-sanctioned science progress can ocratic National Conventions as a news addict the science table. We have yet to figure out a be attributed entirely to the White House—the trapped in a cycle of abuse — cramming near- way to quantify patriotism. primary architects of the NIH’s budget in- ly every spare weekday hour with analysis, op- In reality, the present and future of sci- creases have been Republicans, most notably eds, and internet commentary, crashing under ence are inextricably tied to government, both Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Representa- a wave of hopelessness by Friday, and finally in terms of funding resources and research tive Tom Cole (R-OK) of the health spending tuning out the world for the weekend to binge- policy. The NIH invests over 30 billion dol- subcommittee. However, the role of the Presi- watch fifteen episodes of HBO’s Veep as a sort lars in medical research each year, financing dent cannot be understated. On top of his or of politics nicotine patch. Come Monday, the roughly 300,000 researchers in more than her duties as policy and decision making com- pattern would start anew. In my mind I was 2,500 institutions throughout the nation. The mander-in-chief, the president serves a sym- fulfilling a civic duty to stay informed, but the recently-approved budget for fiscal year 2017 bolic duty as the personification of our coun- entire experience was pretty harrowing. would increase this amount by $825 million, a try, a walking and talking avatar for our values It didn’t take long for my politics habit to welcome change after a decade of funding that and ideas. Obama, in that sense, has been a start impacting my day job. I zoned out while saw budget cuts in twelve of the past fourteen positive force for science since he pledged in counting cells to listen to Terry Gross’s inter- years. It’s no secret that money for research his inaugural address to “restore science in its view with the New York Time’s Amy Chozick project grants has been historically tight, es- rightful place.” It’s critical for our next presi- about Hillary Clinton’s candidacy. I pretended pecially following extensive sequestration of dent, regardless of which party he or she may to be reading protein expression data from funds mandated by the Budget Control Act come from, to also be an ally of science. Nature when I was actually reading poll- of 2011. The only way for the United States to That brings us to this current electoral ing data from FiveThirtyEight. Most notably, remain a leader in science is if Americans elect race. there was a distinct shift in mental priori- officials that continue to prioritize spending in With only weeks to go before election day, ties. After spending half a decade in graduate research. Hillary Clinton has delineated a clear and fact- school studying only science, this suddenly- For examples of how the executive branch driven platform on how she envisions the role consuming focus on the executive branch of can impact academics and science, one only of science in America’s future, while Donald the United States government felt like an un- needs to look back on the last years of the pleasant fugue state. Most people who are in Obama administration. Notable accomplish- CONTINUED TO P.2 * 1 * CONTINUED FROM P.1 tainty about the issue back in 2008, but most have come around since then. In 2015, Clinton Editorial Board Trump has remained largely a black box. In unambiguously tweeted, “The science is clear: an interview with Scientific American, Baylor The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vac- EDITORIAL BOARD College of Medicine’s Dr. Peter J. Hotez de- cineswork. Let’s protect all our kids.” Jim Keller Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor scribed Trump’s science policy as “conspicu- And then there’s the matter of global Aileen Marshall ous by its absence.” Others, such as former warming. In 2016, the reality of climate change Assistant Copy Editing Manager Republican Environmental Protection Agency is a foregone conclusion to 97% of climate sci- Susan Russo administrators William D. Ruckelshaus and entists and a growing majority of US citizens Copy Editor, Distribution William K. Reilly, have gone so far as to decry in both red and blue states. In fact, back in Qiong Wang Trump’s “profound ignorance of science and 2008 the GOP and Democratic presidential Copy Editor, Webmaster, Public Relations Manager of the public health issues embodied in our nominees had relatively closely aligned poli- Juliette Wipf Fernando Bejarano Copy Editor, Webmaster Copy Editor environmental laws.” For example, Clinton’s cies on this issue. Both Obama and McCain Dane Lund Yvette Chin website lists positions on nearly fourty issues, supported the reduction of greenhouse emis- Copy Editor Copy Editor including stances on technology and innova- sions, the development of alternative energy Johannes Buheitel Nan Pang tion, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, research for sources, and a cap-and-trade scheme based Copy Editor Designer HIV/AIDS, reduction of opioid addiction, and Chew-Li Soh Giadalupe Astorga environmental conservation. Trump’s website, Copy Editor Designer on the other hand, has only seven issues, head- selections.rockefeller.edu lined by plans for his Mexican border wall, he key quality of both a good [email protected] with no hint of a scientific platform. A brief look into Clinton’s professional his- Tscientist and a good political “I believe in science.” She followed up with “I tory will reveal a candidate that has been deep- leader is the ability“ to objectively believe that climate change is real and that we ly interested in medical science for her entire assess the evidence at hand can save our planet while creating millions of career. Major milestones range from Clinton’s and advance accordingly, not good-paying clean energy jobs.” As a major efforts to raise funds for breast cancer research necessarily to have all the answers. policy point, Clinton has pledged to maintain as First Lady, to her commitments as both a America’s commitment to the International Senator and presidential candidate to continue Paris Climate Change Agreement, whereas support for embryonic stem cell research. Her on a European model. In 2012, climate change Donald Trump has promised to “cancel” it large panel of health policy and science advi- was rarely discussed, with greater focus in- outright. sors includes Harold Varmus of Weill Cor- stead placed on oil and gas production. This Of course, I have no delusions that the nell, former director of the NIH, and former year, all Democratic candidates and the ma- leader of the United States must be a PhD with President and CEO of MSKCC. Meanwhile, jority of Republican candidates acknowledged total fluency in academic literature. In fact, I science appears to be an afterthought for the man-made climate change, with party-line don’t even need the president to be correct on Trump campaign. One of his few on-record splits occurring primarily around policy and every scientific issue. Scientists themselves are statements on medical science occurred on regulations. One could presume that a bipar- conditioned to be wrong at times, to expect ex- conservative commentator Michael Savage’s tisan consensus had coalesced in the interven- periments to fail, to have hypotheses disprov- radio show, where Trump was vaguely critical ing years around mounting scientific evidence. en. The key quality of both a good scientist and of government-sponsored research, saying, “I Unfortunately, that’s not the case. a good political leader is the ability to objec- hear so much about the NIH, and it’s terrible.” In a March interview with The Washington tively assess the evidence at hand and advance However, indifference is far from Trump’s Post, Trump was quoted as saying he is “not accordingly, not necessarily to have all the an- biggest problem. As demonstrated by his a great believer in man-made climate change,” swers. Herein lies the most unsettling aspect of 2011 tenure as a mouthpiece for the spuri- consistent with his well-documented history a potential Trump presidency. Hillary Clinton, ous “birther” movement, Trump has shown a of climate change denial. A visit to his Twit- although a thoroughly flawed candidate in dangerous propensity to embrace pseudosci- ter history shows over 50 tweets Trump has her own right, has demonstrated the ability to ence and evidence denial. For one, he has re- posted over the past three years mocking evolve her positions based on new informa- peatedly regurgitated the long disproven link man-made climate change as a conspiracy and tion, even admitting she was wrong on several between vaccines and autism, most recently at a hoax (several of which were based on anec- issues ranging from same-sex marriage to the a CNN Republican primary debate from last dotal experiences of personally-felt chilliness war in Iraq.