Few would deny that the science adviser has a challenging assignment. He must brief the president on many varied expert opinions on science and technology matters (including those that deviate from the administration's ideology or stated policy). He must also support the president's decisions once they are made. It is a difficult balancing act, particularly in the absence of a President's Science Advisory Committee (PSAC), such as existed from 1957 to 1972. PSAC provided informed and wide-ranging debate in the executive branch.
Can one person really be expected, however, to represent the science community's multitude of often contradictory views? Personal experience and professional contacts will strongly shape the information and advice offered to the president. The current trend toward a partisan role for the president's science adviser only, underscores the need for democratizing science advice in the executive branch by reviving the PSAC.
I suspect, however, that even this action ...
