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Undermining Science: Suppression and Distortion in the Bush Administration
This vitally important exposé shows how the Bush administration has systematically misled Americans on a wide range of scientific issues affecting public health, foreign policy, and the environment by ignoring, suppressing, manipulating, or even distorting scientific research. It is the first book to focus exclusively on how this explosive issue has played out during the Presidency of George W. Bush and the first to comprehensively document his administration’s abuses of science.
In 2001, a group of eminent American scientists affiliated with the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) contacted Seth Shulman, an experienced investigative journalist, to look into charges of serious mishandling of scientific information in the current administration. Shulman’s investigation resulted in the groundbreaking report "Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policy Making," which served as the basis for a highly publicized UCS scientists' statement accusing the Bush administration of a misuse of science that was signed by dozens of Nobel laureates, National Medal of Science recipients, and members of the National Academy of Sciences. To date, more than 8,000 scientists across the country have signed the statement based upon Shulman’s reporting. This book, drawing upon scores of interviews and including never-released information, goes beyond the UCS report to document the Bush administration's suppression and distortion of science, bringing this issue to a wider audience.
Undermining Science
* The Bush administration’s abuse and misuse of science in areas including stem cell research, AIDS prevention, environmental protection, the Iraq war, the teaching of evolution, and global warming;
* The administration’s use of political litmus tests in selecting administrators for science-based agencies and in selecting scientists on federal advisory committees;
* The dangerous consequences of the Bush administration's war on science for the caliber and integrity of the nation's scientific research.
Shulman explains that, by knowingly misrepresenting and suppressing the truth, the Bush administration broke its covenant with its constituents in the most fundamental way possible, with consequences that reach far beyond the scientific community.
In 2001, a group of eminent American scientists affiliated with the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) contacted Seth Shulman, an experienced investigative journalist, to look into charges of serious mishandling of scientific information in the current administration. Shulman’s investigation resulted in the groundbreaking report "Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policy Making," which served as the basis for a highly publicized UCS scientists' statement accusing the Bush administration of a misuse of science that was signed by dozens of Nobel laureates, National Medal of Science recipients, and members of the National Academy of Sciences. To date, more than 8,000 scientists across the country have signed the statement based upon Shulman’s reporting. This book, drawing upon scores of interviews and including never-released information, goes beyond the UCS report to document the Bush administration's suppression and distortion of science, bringing this issue to a wider audience.
Undermining Science
* The Bush administration’s abuse and misuse of science in areas including stem cell research, AIDS prevention, environmental protection, the Iraq war, the teaching of evolution, and global warming;
* The administration’s use of political litmus tests in selecting administrators for science-based agencies and in selecting scientists on federal advisory committees;
* The dangerous consequences of the Bush administration's war on science for the caliber and integrity of the nation's scientific research.
Shulman explains that, by knowingly misrepresenting and suppressing the truth, the Bush administration broke its covenant with its constituents in the most fundamental way possible, with consequences that reach far beyond the scientific community.
222 pages, Hardcover
First published January 8, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 3, 2007
Undermining Science: Suppression and Distortion in the Bush Administration, Seth Shulman, University of California Press, 2006
This book looks at the ways that the Bush Administration has systematically misled the American public on policy matters by ignoring, suppressing or distorting scientific research. Politics has always been a part of science on the federal level, and a healthy debate on science is welcomed, but, according to many current and former government scientists, the climate has never been as bad as during the Bush Administration.
Abstinence and the use of contraceptives have been shown to be very effective in reducing national rates of teen pregnancy and HIV infection. But, abstinence alone (the Bush Administration policy) is close to worthless as an anti-HIV and anti-pregnancy policy. As Chief of Staff of the Council on Environmental Quality, Philip Cooney rewrote many government reports to make it sound like there was great disagreement about global warming in the scientific community, when such disagreement did not exist. His qualifications included being a lawyer for the American Petroleum Institute.
Other Bush Administration strategies include appointing partisans, who consider ideology more important than science, to second- and third-level positions (where the real work is done) and using political litmus tests. If a scientist is not sufficiently loyal to the Administration, or was part of a full-page newspaper ad critical of the Administration, they could forget about being appointed to any federal advisory board or commission, regardless of their professional qualifications.
This first-rate book also looks at the manipulation and cherry picking of Iraqi intelligence, Bush’s "Clear Skies" and "Healthy Forests" policies, stem cells and "intelligent design." This easy-to-read expose is not partisan, and is a worthy addition to what seems to be the growing list of books critical of the Bush Administration.
This book looks at the ways that the Bush Administration has systematically misled the American public on policy matters by ignoring, suppressing or distorting scientific research. Politics has always been a part of science on the federal level, and a healthy debate on science is welcomed, but, according to many current and former government scientists, the climate has never been as bad as during the Bush Administration.
Abstinence and the use of contraceptives have been shown to be very effective in reducing national rates of teen pregnancy and HIV infection. But, abstinence alone (the Bush Administration policy) is close to worthless as an anti-HIV and anti-pregnancy policy. As Chief of Staff of the Council on Environmental Quality, Philip Cooney rewrote many government reports to make it sound like there was great disagreement about global warming in the scientific community, when such disagreement did not exist. His qualifications included being a lawyer for the American Petroleum Institute.
Other Bush Administration strategies include appointing partisans, who consider ideology more important than science, to second- and third-level positions (where the real work is done) and using political litmus tests. If a scientist is not sufficiently loyal to the Administration, or was part of a full-page newspaper ad critical of the Administration, they could forget about being appointed to any federal advisory board or commission, regardless of their professional qualifications.
This first-rate book also looks at the manipulation and cherry picking of Iraqi intelligence, Bush’s "Clear Skies" and "Healthy Forests" policies, stem cells and "intelligent design." This easy-to-read expose is not partisan, and is a worthy addition to what seems to be the growing list of books critical of the Bush Administration.
September 26, 2007
A very good summary of the many ways that the Bush Administration has interfered with the work of scientists in the government. It is a litany.... A very long list.
In conclusion, I think he misses an important point. It seems to me that most cases of meddling by the Administration covered by powerful and timely stories in the media. I think he might be missing the real story: investigative journalism is insufficient. What is missing here is public outrage and political consequences for our elected leaders.
The larger question is how can we engage masses of people, provoking some kind of response?
In conclusion, I think he misses an important point. It seems to me that most cases of meddling by the Administration covered by powerful and timely stories in the media. I think he might be missing the real story: investigative journalism is insufficient. What is missing here is public outrage and political consequences for our elected leaders.
The larger question is how can we engage masses of people, provoking some kind of response?
October 19, 2009
This is a very thorough review of the devastation that the Bush administration has inflicted on scientific inquiry as well as health and environmental policies. It is clear that Republican policies over the last 8 years have hurt the American people and hindered our ability to address real issues such as global warming, reproductive health, and polution. It is worth reading if only to see what messes we have to clean up now.
August 8, 2009
My next science book to read. This one is about how the Bush administration ignored science in their policy decisions. I'll let you know if it is worth a read.
It was OK. The usual political witch hunt book, but still interesting for me to see the scope of the Bushies willingness to ignore science.
Time to read more fiction.
It was OK. The usual political witch hunt book, but still interesting for me to see the scope of the Bushies willingness to ignore science.
Time to read more fiction.
May 14, 2008
Lots of good information, written at a level that's accessible to the general public. Simpler and less involved than The Republican War on Science by Mooney, which made it not as good in my mind, but still worthwhile.
Want to read
October 9, 2008As reviewed by Kevin Padian in the 25 Sep 2008 issue of Nature (the 2008 US election special issue).
February 20, 2009
I read this book to write my final essay last semester. While reading this book, I got annoyed about Bush Administration for changing reports, numbers, even demanding scientists not to write a paper about environmental problems... I still can't believe that this really happened in current society.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews