STS 3911 - Science in American Politics

(crosslisted) AMST 3911, GOVT 3091
(SBA-AS, SSC-AS)

Spring. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

S. Hilgartner.

This course reviews the changing relations between science, technology, and the state in America, focusing on the period from 1960 to the present. We will explore science-intensive policy controversies. We will also look at how science and technology are used in different institutional settings, such as Congress, the court system, and regulatory agencies. Among other issues, we will examine the tension between the concept of science as an autonomous system for producing knowledge and the concept of science as entangled with interest groups.