Protecting Government Science from Political Interference

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reports that political interference in government science is an ongoing issue, with 326 documented attacks across the last four presidential administrations. An analysis of 38 federal agencies found that 71% show low or nonexistent compliance with scientific integrity requirements established by the Biden administration. The report advocates for agency-level reforms to communication and enforcement, as well as the passage of legislation such as the Scientific Integrity Act to ensure accountability across different administrations.

• Political interference in federal science has been a persistent issue since the 1950s across both Democratic and Republican administrations. UCS documented 326 instances of politics undermining government science over the last four presidential administrations, with 63 percent (207 cases) occurring during the Trump administration.
• The dismantling of science-based protections disproportionately harms historically marginalized populations, including low-income communities and Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities, who already face higher exposure to environmental hazards like toxic chemicals and air pollution.
• A study of 38 federal agencies revealed significant gaps in the implementation of scientific integrity policies. Based on metrics including the publication of updated policies, the designation of integrity officials, and annual reporting on investigations, 71 percent (27 agencies) demonstrated low or nonexistent compliance with the 2021 presidential memorandum.
• To safeguard scientific integrity, the report recommends that federal agencies hold violators accountable, protect whistleblowers from retaliation, clarify investigation timelines, and remove policy language that encourages self-censorship.
• The Union of Concerned Scientists supports the passage of three specific pieces of legislation to strengthen federal scientific integrity: the Scientific Integrity Act, the Stop Corporate Capture Act, and the A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice for All Act.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2024). Protecting Government Science from Political Interference. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/Protecting-Government-Science-from-Political-Interference_Executive-Summary.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Protecting Government Science from Political Interference. 2024. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/Protecting-Government-Science-from-Political-Interference_Executive-Summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Protecting Government Science from Political Interference |date=September 2024 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/Protecting-Government-Science-from-Political-Interference_Executive-Summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2024protecting, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Protecting Government Science from Political Interference}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/Protecting-Government-Science-from-Political-Interference_Executive-Summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }