Science Policy Resources
These resources do not necessarily reflect the views of AAAS, its Council, Board of Directors, officers, or members. AAAS is not responsible for the accuracy of this material. AAAS has made this material available as a public service, but this does not constitute endorsement by the association.
Legislative Branch
- Capitol Hearings
- Congress.gov
- Congress.org via CQ Roll Call
- Congressional Budget Office
- Congressional Directory
- Congressional Research Service
- Congressional Research Service Reports via Federation of American Scientists
- Government Accountability Office
- Government Publishing Office
- Legistorm
- Library of Congress
- Office of Technology Assessment Archive publications
- Office of the Clerk
- Project Vote Smart
- Research Caucus
- United States Code or (includes all U.S. Laws)
- U.S. House of Representatives
- U.S. Senate
Resources on the Legislative Branch
- Bimber, Bruce. The Politics of Expertise in Congress: The Rise and Fall of the Office of Technology Assessment. SUNY Press, 1996.
- Burns, Ken. The Congress (DVD).Public Broadcasting Service, 1996
- Greenberg, Ellen. The House and Senate Explained: The People’s Guide to Congress. W. W. Norton & Company, 1996.
- Hamilton, Lee H. How Congress Works and Why You Should Care. Indiana University Press, 2004.
- Koempel, Michael L. and Schneider, Judy. Congressional Deskbook: The Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Congress. The Capital.Net, 5th Edition, 2007.
- Morgan, M. Granger and Peha, Jon. Science and Technology Advice for Congress. Resources for the Future, 2003.
- Oleszek, Walter J., and Davidson, Roger H. Congress and its Members. CQ Press Institute, 9th Edition, 2003.
- Oleszek, Walter J. Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process. CQ Press Institute, 2004.
- Redman, Eric. The Dance of Legislation. University of Washington Press, 2001.
- U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. Federally Funded Research: Decisions for a Decade. Government Printing Office, OTA-SET-490, 1991.
- Wells, William G. Jr. Working with Congress: A Practical Guide for Scientists and Engineers. AAAS Press, 1996.
The Presidency
- American President: An Online Reference Resource
- Produced by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. Offers in-depth information reviewed by prominent scholars on each president an administration.
- The White House
- White House Office of Management and Budget
- White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Resources on the Presidency
- Bond, Jon R. and Richard Fleisher. The President in the Legislative Arena (American Politics and Political Economy Series). University Of Chicago Press, 1990.
- Burke, John P. The Institutional Presidency: Organizing and Managing the White House from FDR to Clinton (Interpreting American Politics). The Johns Hopkins University Press; 2nd edition, 2000.
- Burns, James MacGregor and Susan Dunn. The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2001.
- Ellis, Joseph J. His Excellency: George Washington. Knopf, 2004.
- Gergen, David. Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership Nixon to Clinton. Simon & Schuster, 2000.
- Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
- Reeves, Richard. President Nixon: Alone in the White House. Simon & Schuster, 2001.
- Reeves, Richard. President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
- Schlesinger, Arthur M. Jr. A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965.
- Schlesinger, Arthur M. Jr. The Politics of Upheaval: 1935-1936, The Age of Roosevelt, Volume III (The Age of Roosevelt). Mariner Books, 2003.
- Shogan, Robert. The Double-Edged Sword: How Character Makes and Ruins Presidents, from Washington to Clinton. Westview Pr (Trd), 1998.
Federal Agencies
- A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Army Research Office
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Reclamation
- Contact Information for Government Agencies and Elected Officials
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Food and Drug Administration
- Forest Service
- National Institute of Standards and Technology
- National Institutes of Health
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Park Service
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Office of Naval Research
- Official U.S. Executive Branch Web Sites listing
- Science.gov
- U.S. Agency for International Development
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- U.S. Department of Defense
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
- U.S. Department of State
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Geological Survey
Judicial Branch
Budget
- Congressional Budget Office
- Government Printing Office Budget Information
- National Science Foundation R&D Statistics
- Office of Management and Budget
- Office of Management and Budget
STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- The National Association of Counties
- National Conference of State Legislatures
- National Governors Association
- The National League of Cities
- State and Local Government on the Net
- Stateline.org
National Associations & Organizations
- AAAS
- Association for Women in Science
- Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology
- Institute of Medicine
- National Academy of Engineering
- National Academy of Public Administration
- National Academy of Sciences
- National Academy Press
International Organizations
- CorpWatch
- Diplomatic List (foreign missions in the U.S.)
- European Science Foundation
- Food and Agriculture Organization
- Global Environment Facility
- Global Public Policy Network
- Inter-American Development Bank
- International Institute for Sustainable Development
- International Labour Organization
- International Monetary Fund
- International Science Council
- Organization of American States
- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
- Organization of Women in Science for the Developing World
- Pan American Health Organization
- Science Europe (list of member organizations)
- The Academy of Science for the Developing World
- The South Centre
- Third World Network
- United Nations - various
- General UN Financing for Development
- UN Chief Executives Board for Coordination
- UN Conference on Trade & Development
- UN Development Programme
- UN Educational, Scientific, & Cultural Organization
- UN Economic and Social Council
- UN Environment Programme
- UN General Assembly
- UN Security Council
- UN Sustainable Development
- World Bank
- World Business Council for Sustainable Development
- World Health Organization
- World Trade Organization
Think Tanks
- American Enterprise Institute
- Brookings Institution
- Cato Institute
- Center for American Progress
- Center for Strategic & International Studies
- Hastings Center
- Heritage Foundation
- Hoover Institution
- Hudson Institute
- PEW Research Center
- Progressive Policy Institute
- RAND Corporation
- Urban Institute
- Woodrow Wilson International Center
Media
- American Scientist
- Atlantic Monthly
- Business Week
- Capitol Hearings
- C&E News (published by ACS)
- Chronicle of Higher Education
- C-SPAN
- Discover
- Economist
- Education Week
- Federal Register
- Financial Times
- Foreign Policy
- Government Executive
- Inside Higher Education
- Issues in Science and Technology
- National Journal
- Nature
- New Scientist
- NewsLink
- Newsweek
- New York Times
- Politico
- Roll Call
- Science
- Science.gov Alerts
- ScienceNews
- SciDev.Net
- Scientific American
- Technology Daily
- Time
- U.S. News & World Report
- The Wall Street Journal
- The Washington Post
Science Advocacy
- 314 Action. Members of the STEM community, grassroots supporters and political activists committed to bring innovation to STEM education, advocate for real solutions to climate change and elect more STEM-trained candidates to public office.
- 500 Women Scientists. A grassroots organization started by four women (including an STPF fellow) with a commitment to speak up for science and for women, minorities, immigrants, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA. Thousands have signed a pledge to build an inclusive scientific community dedicated to training a more diverse group of future leaders in science and to use the language of science to bridge divides and enhance global diplomacy.
- AAAS Force for Science
- AAAS Force for Science group on Trellis. Stay up-to-date on the issues, understand the role that science plays in policy, follow AAAS advocacy activities, and learn about ways to take action.
- AAAS Office of Government Relations | Online Resources
- Connecting Scientists to Policy Around the World; AAAS, Feb. 2017. A landscape analysis of mechanisms around the world engaging scientists and engineers in policy.
- Engaging Scientists & Engineers in Policy (ESEP). ESEP is an ad hoc alliance of organizations seeking to empower scientists and engineers to engage in the policymaking process at all levels of government. ESEP serves as a resource, communication forum, networking opportunity, and as an engagement vehicle for science & technology policy stakeholders.
- Engineers and Scientists Acting Locally. A group of scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians seeking to increase local civic engagement by STEM-trained professionals.
Policy Analysis & Political Decision-Making
- Bardach, Eugene. A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving. CQ Press, 2000.
- Clemons, Randall S., McBeth, Mark K. Public Policy Praxis - Theory and Pragmatism: A Case Approach. Prentice Hall: 1st edition, 2000.
- Dionne, E.J. Political Hacks v. Bureaucrats: Can't Public Servants Get Some Respect?The Brookings Review, Spring 2001, Vol.19 No.2, pp. 8-11. The Brookings Institution.
- Fischer, Frank; Miller, Gerald; Sidney, Mara. (eds).Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Politics, and Methods. (PDF) CRC Press, 2007
- Hayes, Michael T. The Limits of Policy Change: Incrementalism, Worldview, and the Rule of Law (Essential Texts in American Government). Georgetown University Press, 2001.
- Hoppe, Robert. Policy analysis, science, and politics: from 'speaking truth to power' to 'making sense together'. (PDF) University of Twente.
- Iyengar, Shanto (Editor) and Richard Reeves (Editor). Do the Media Govern?: Politicians, Voters, and Reporters in America. Sage Publications, Inc, 1997.
- Jankowski, Joel. Lobbying and Lobby Reform: A Practitioner's Viewpoint. extensions: A Journal of the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center, Fall 2006.
- Ledeen, Michael A. Tocqueville on American Character: Why Tocqueville’s Brilliant Exploration of the American Spirit Is As Vital and Important Today As It Was Nearly Two Hundred Years Ago. Truman Talley Books, 2000.
- Nitisha. Decision-Making Theory: Definition, Nature and Theories. PoliticalScienceNotes.com, 2016.
- Radin, Beryl. Beyond Machiavelli: Policy Analysis Comes of Age. Georgetown University Press, 2000.
- Reinicke, Wolgfang H. and Francis Deng. Critical Choices: The United Nations, networks, and the future of global governance. A report of the Global Public Policy Project, 2000.
- Stone, Deborah. Policy Pardox: The Art of Political Decision Making. W.W. Norton & Co.: Revised edition, 2002.
- Wiemer, David, Vining, Aidan R. Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice, 4th Edition. Prentice Hall, 2004
Science-Policy Interface
- AAAS Policy Alert Blog & Newsletter
- Washington Science Policy Alliance (link to listserv sign-up)
Publications
- AAAS. Vision 2033: Linking Science and Policy for Tomorrow's World. AAAS Press, 2005.
- AAAS. Federal R&D Budget Dashboard.
- AAAS. Connecting Scientists to Policy Around the World.
- Bipartisan Policy Center. Improving the Use of Science in Regulatory Policy. (PDF), Bipartisan Policy Center, 2009.
- Blockstein, D.E. 2002. How to Lose Your Political Virginity while Keeping Your Scientific Credibility. BioScience 52 (1):91-16.
- Burgoyne, R., A.L. Coleman, J.L. Keith, D.E. Chubin, and S.M. Malcom. Navigating a Complex Landscape to Foster Greater Faculty and Student Diversity in Higher Education. (PDF), AAAS-Association of American Universities, April 2010.
- Collins, Francis S. The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine. HarperCollins, 2010.
- Dessler, Andrew E. and Parson, Edward A. The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: A Guide to the Debate. Cambridge University Press, 2006.
- Engels, Anita. The Science-Policy Interface. The Integrated Assessment Journal, 2005.
- Friedman, Thomas L. The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.
- Gluckman, Peter. The science-policy interface. Science, 2016.
- Greenberg, Daniel S. Science, Money and Politics: Political Triumph and Ethical Erosion. University of Chicago Press, 2003.
- Guston, David H. Between Politics and Science: Assuring the Productivity and Integrity of Research. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
- Holmes, Richard. The Age of Wonder: The Romantic Generation and the Discovery of the Beauty and Terror of Science. Vintage Books (A Division of Random House), 2008.
- Houck, O. Tales from a Troubled Marriage: Science and Law in Environmental Policy. Science 302:1926-1929. 2003.
- Jasanoff, Sheila. Designs on Nature: Science and Democracy in Europe and the United States. Princeton University Press, 2005.
- Kady II, Martin, Jalonick, Mary Clare, and Sharma, Amol. Science, Policy Mix Uneasily in Legislative Laboratory. CQ Weekly. March 20, 2004, Page 680.
- Kelly, Henry, Oelrich, Ivan, Aftergood, Steven, and Tannenbaum, Benn H. Flying Blind: The Rise, Fall and Possible Resurrection of Science Policy Advice in the United States (Occasional Paper No. 2). Federation of American Scientists, December 2004.
- Krimsky, Sheldon. Science in the Private Interest: Has the Lure of Profits Corrupted Biomedical Research? Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2004.
- Malcom, S.M., Chubin, D.E., and Jesse, J.K. Standing Our Ground: A Guidebook for STEM Educators in the Post-Michigan Era. AAAS-National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, October 2004.
- Mazur, Allan C. True Warnings and False Alarms about Technology, 1948-1971. Resources for the Future, 2003.
- McGarity, Thomas O. and Wagner Wendy. Bending Science: How Special Interests Corrupt Public Health Research. Harvard University Press, 2008.
- Neal, Homer A., Smith, Tobin L., and McCormick, Jennifer B. Beyond Sputnik: U.S. Science Policy in the Twenty-First Century. University of Michigan Press, 2008.
- Pielke, Jr., Roger A. The Honest Broker: Making Sense of Science in Policy and Politics. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
- Savage, James D. Funding Science in America: Congress, Universities, and the Politics of the Academic Pork Barrel. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
- Schrag, Zachary M. Ethical Imperialism: Institutional Review Boards and the Social Sciences, 1965-2009.JHU Press, 2010.
- Stephen, Paula E. How Economics Shapes Science. Harvard University Press, 2012.
- Stine, Deborah D. Science and Technology Policymaking: A Primer. Congressional Research Service.
- Teich, Albert H. Technology and the Future – Eleventh Edition. Cengage Learning, 2008.
- Thurber, James A., and Nelson, Candice J., ed. Campaigns and Elections American Style: Transforming American Politics, 3rd Edition. Westview Press, 2004.
- van der Vink, Gregory E. Scientifically Illiterate vs. Politically Clueless. Science and Technology Policy Yearbook. 2004.
- van den Hove, Sybille. A Rationale for Science-Policy Interfaces. Futures, 39:7, 2007.
- Varmus, Harold. The Art and Politics of Science. W. W. Norton and Company, 2009.
Communicating Science
- AAAS Communicating Science.Communicating Science Workshops
- AAAS Communication Toolkit
- AAAS News Service: EurekAlert!
- Online news service operated by AAAS in which universities, associations and societies, government agencies, corporations and other organizations engaged in research can distribute science, health and technology news to the media.
- Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University
- Balin, Deborah. Communicating Science: Barriers Journalists Face at Government Agencies. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2015.
- Bray, Robert. Spin Works! A Media Guidebook for Communicating Values and Shaping Opinion. Independent Media Institute, 2002.
- Broad, W. and J. Glanz. Does Science Matter? The New York Times, November 11, 2003.
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Communication Science: Giving Talks (associated resources available on the webpage)
- Chubin, D. and J. Maienschein. Staffing Science Policy-making. Science 290: 1501. 2000.
- Dean, Cornelia. Am I Making Myself Clear? A Scientist's Guide to Talking to the Public. Harvard University Press, 2009.
- Dean, Cornelia. Rousing Science Out of the Lab and Into the Limelight. The New York Times, November 11, 2003.
- FENTON Communications. Now Hear This – The Nine Laws of Successful Advocacy Communications. (PDF).
- Few, S. Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten. Analytics Press, 2004.
- Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Back Bay Books, Little Brown & Company, 2000, 2002.
- Hayes, Richard and Grossman, Daniel. A Scientist's Guide to Talking with the Media: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Rutgers University Press, 2006.
- Jackson, Alex. Communicating Science to the Public—and to Other Scientists. Nature hosted on ScientificAmerican.com, 2014.
- Koomey, Jonathan G. Turning Numbers into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving. Analytics Press, 2001.
- Leshner, A.I. Public Engagement with Science. Science 299: 977. 2003.
- Montgomery, S.L. Dealing with the Press. The Chicago Guide to Communicating Science. University of Chicago Press, 2003. ( Chapter Fifteen is of particular interest)
- NASA. Communicating Science. 2012.
- NSF. NSF, Science Communication, and You: Resources for Communication through NSF.
- Pew Internet and American Life Project
- Provides access to an accumulating series of studies of individuals' use of the Internet as an information channel.
- ScienceSites
- On-line web site workshops and courses led by Merry Bruns, an online content strategist, editor and trainer who focuses on communicating web content to audiences clearly and effectively.
- Sheperd, Marshall. 9 Tips For Communicating Science To People Who Are Not Scientists. Forbes.com, 2016.
- Why Files
- Produced by the University of Wisconsin Graduate School featuring weekly "science behind the news" in a quick, user friendly format. Targeted to teachers and students, but useful for other lay audiences.
Local History and Perspectives
- Carrier, Thomas J. Washington DC: Historic Walking Tour (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing, 1999.
- Carrier, Thomas J. Historic Georgetown: A Walking Tour (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing, 1999.
- Clarke, Wendy Mitman and Pemberton, John. Window on the Chesapeake: The Bay, Its People and Places. The Mariners Museum, 2003.
- Cronin, William B. The Disappearing Islands of the Chesapeake. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005.
- Gutheim, Frederick. The Potomac. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986.
- Horton, Tom. An Island Out of Time: A Memoir of Smith Island in the Chesapeake. Vintage, 1997.
- Kafka-Gibbons, Paul. Dupont Circle: A Novel. Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
- Luria, Sarah. Capital Speculations: Writing and Building Washington, DC. University of New Hampshire Press, 2005.
- Michelin Must Sees Washington, DC. Michelin Travel Publications; 2nd edition, 2005.
- Michener, James A. Chesapeake. Random House, 1978.
- Ogilvie, Philip Woodworth, and Potomac Water Trail Association. Along the Potomac (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing (SC); Reissue edition, 2003.
- Pelecanos, George, ed. DC Noir. Akashic Books, 2006.
- Penczer, Peter. Washington, D.C., Past and Present. Oneanta Pr, 1998.
- Schrag, Zachary M. The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006.
- Shomette, Donald G. Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay and Other Tales of the Lost Chesapeake. Tidewater Publishers, 1996.
- Turner, William H. East of the Chesapeake. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.
- Assateague and Chincoteague http://www.assateagueisland.com/
- Mount Vernon – Home of George Washington http://www.mountvernon.org/
- Monticello – Home of Thomas Jefferson http://www.monticello.org/
- Montpellier – Home of James Madison http://www.montpelier.org/
American History
The Founders and the Revolutionary Era
- Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. Knopf, 2000.
- Hitchens, Christopher. Thomas Jefferson: Author of America (Eminent Lives). Eminent Lives, 2005.
- Isaacson, Walter. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. Simon & Schuster, 2003.
- Jordan, Terry L. The U.S. Constitution: And Fascinating Facts About It. Oak Hill Publishing Company; 7th edition, 1999.
- McCullough, David. 1776. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
- Meacham, Jon. American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation. Random House, 2006.
War of 1812
- Cultural Tourism DC: War of 1812
- This web site is superb to reference or to deal with this war along with other watershed periods. Look at the other areas of history in this site as they are as good.
- Hickey, Donald R. The War of 1812: A SHORT HISTORY. University of Illinois Press, 1995.
- Lloyd, Alan. The scorching of Washington: The War of 1812. David & Charles PLC, 1974.
The Civil War
- Foner, Eric. Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party before the Civil War With a New Introductory Essay. Oxford University Press, 1995.
- Foner, Eric. Politics and Ideology in the Age of the Civil War. Oxford University Press, 1980.
- Kennedy, Frances H. The Civil War Battlefield Guide, Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
- Miles, Jim. Forged in Fire: A History and Tour Guide of the War in the East, From Manassas to Antietam, 1861-1862 (Civil War Explorer Series). Cumberland House Publishing, 2000.
Other Defining Historical Events and Eras
- Beidler, Phillip (Editor) and Gary Taylor (Editor). Writing Race Across the Atlantic World, 1492-1789. Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.
- Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945 (Oxford History of the United States). Oxford University Press, 1999.
- Lamb, Brian (Editor). Booknotes: Stories from American History: Leading Historians on the Events That Shaped Our Country. PublicAffairs, 2001.
- Lewis, Anthony. Gideon’s Trumpet (Vintage). Vintage, 1980.
- Sellers, Charles. The Market Revolution: Jacksonian America, 1815-1846. Oxford University Press, 1992.
- Walters, Ronald G. American Reformers 1815-1860: Revised Edition. Hill and Wang, 1997.