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Threats to Science: Politicization, Misinformation, and Inequalities (WP-21-52)

James Druckman

Science is often considered the best available route to knowledge, and thus, essential for societal progress. Yet, contemporary science faces several challenges. These include politicization, misinformation, and inequalities. Druckman outlines each of these threats, detailing the ways in which they can undermine the optimal production and application of science. He provides an overview of various research agendas on each – as covered in this special issue. Without minimizing the seriousness posed by each threat, he also suggests that existing work provides reason for hope that the scientific enterprise can address these challenges and continue to improve societal well-being.

This paper is published in The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

James Druckman, Payson S. Wild Professor of Political Science and IPR Fellow, Northwestern University

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