Role of Science in the American Democracy: Roots, Tensions, and Paths Forward

Sunday, February 17, 2013: 8:30 AM-11:30 AM
Room 310 (Hynes Convention Center)
A functioning democracy depends on the ability of citizens and elected officials to identify, value, and rely upon legitimate sources of scientific information essential to ensuring the nation’s health, well-being, and security. This symposium explores the role of science in the formation of the American democracy; current challenges to maintaining public and policy-maker acceptance of credible science in the face of deliberate misinformation; distractions exacerbated by the expansion of digital media and competing cultural values; and new approaches, informed by both research and practice, to strengthen the incorporation of policy-relevant science into American public discourse and decision-making.
Organizer:
Peter Frumhoff, Union of Concerned Scientists
Co-organizers:
Pallavi Phartiyal, Union of Concerned Scientists
and James McCarthy, Harvard University
Moderator:
Peter Frumhoff, Union of Concerned Scientists
Discussant:
Lewis M. Branscomb, University of California
Speakers:
Sheila Jasanoff, Harvard University
Science and Public Skepticism
Francesca T. Grifo, Union of Concerned Scientists
Tools for Strengthening Scientific Integrity in Federal Decision-Making
David Goldston, Natural Resources Defense Council
Restoring Evidence-Based Decision-Making in the U.S. Congress
Mark B. Brown, California State University
Science Advice and Democratic Realism
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