August 18, 2016

Science Policy and the “Third Parties”

Posted by elandau

By George Marino, AGU Science Policy Intern

I recently received a response to an article I shared on our Twitter account about the science policy positions of the Presidential candidates from the two major U.S. political parties. The person asked where a candidate from one of the other parties stood on the issues. So after some research, I can present the facts that I could find on what “third party” candidates have been saying about geoscience policy.

The Libertarian Party: Gov. Gary Johnson

The Green Party: Dr. Jill Stein

  • Dr. Jill SteinDr. Stein has called for an increase in federal funding of science research, coinciding with a decrease in military spending. The Green Party Platform advocates the need for space exploration and research, and calls for the “demilitarization of space.” It also supports the reduction of research and development funding into military applications, with an increased focus on environmental protection and sustainability studies.
  • One of Dr. Stein’s core proposals is a “Green New Deal,” a national effort to create jobs in fields such as energy efficiency, retrofitting, mass transit, and “clean” manufacturing through actions such as “redirecting research funds from fossil fuels…toward research in wind, solar and geothermal.” It also calls for the elimination of nuclear power.
  • Dr. Stein has no stated positions that I could find on the topic of STEM education.
  • Twitter: @DrJillStein
  • Website: http://www.jill2016.com/

Do you have more questions? Contact candidates to learn more about their views on science policy.