The Wonk Room

Is McCain Snoozing Past Science?

Our guest blogger is Jonathan Moreno, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Try this thought experiment: Imagine America lost its lead in science. What would be the effects for economic growth, health care, energy, communications, information technology and national security? Or try to think of a sector of our society that would not be affected.

The American founders got this even before the word science was used the way we use it today. They foresaw that the new nation’s power and prosperity would be founded partly on technological innovation. They admired and sought to nurture and reward the creative spirit. Jefferson’s patent statute is perhaps the most obvious example, but each member of the founding pantheon had a specific interest in “natural philosophy.”

In that spirit, a group of science organizations have asked both presidential candidates to respond to 14 key questions about the future of American science. So far, only Sen. Obama has responded.

Sen. McCain has claimed to recognize the importance of science and the urgency of innovation. His website states:

John McCain Would Place A Priority On Science And Technology Experience. As President, John McCain will be committed to bringing talented men and women of science into the federal government. He will strive to ensure that Administration appointees across the government have adequate experience and understanding of science, technology and innovation in order to better serve the American people.

He also points out, “Less than 20 percent of our undergraduate students obtained degrees in math or science, and the number of computer science majors has fallen by half over the last eight years.”

These numbers are clearly abysmal. So why hasn’t McCain responded to the questions of these science organizations?

Has Sen. McCain been napping in science class? That’s one final exam that America can’t afford to fail.