Average customer rating:
- Classic political process book
- CREDIBLE?
- Our rulers speak. Pay attention, proles!
- Stunning inside look at politics
- Shows Politics As the Messy But Necessary Evil It Is
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The System: The American Way of Politics at the Breaking Point
Haynes Johnson , and
David Broder
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
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Binding: Paperback
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Governing Health: The Politics of Health Policy
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ASIN: 0316111457 |
Customer Reviews:
Classic political process book.......2006-12-19
Perhaps only Showdown at Gucci Gulch matches The System for a true focus on how big-time policy really gets enacted - or doesn't as the Clinton health care drive shows. Whereas the Gucci Gulch focused on Reagan's 1986 tax policy overhaul success, The System follows President Clinton's efforts to revamp healthcare in America. What makes The System more representative of the political process than Gucci Gulch is that healthcare reform failed. Because of Clinton management inexperience, and Gingrich "coagulation" and scare tactics, healthcare reform never happened. That may be for the better. Clinton's plan left little to be desired, though it was not the "socialized medicine" that the right claimed it was. Still, that does not mean it was a worthy plan. The real problem, however, that scoring political success for both sides trumped the search for wise policy. Most everyone at the outset agreed that there was something wrong with healthcare, but change failed to occur. And no one is absolved of blame by Johnson and Broder: the President, First Lady, the wider Administration, Congress, the press, interest groups, and the public all allowed this to happen. Again, that doesn't mean that Clinton's plan should have been adopted, but something could have been done to better deal with the many healthcare problems plaguing the nation.
Regardless, The System is a must-read for anyone who wants to see American politics as it really exists.
CREDIBLE?.......2001-09-08
I read this book a few years ago as a requirement for my Master's degree in public administration. I read along with interest because the story that unfolded read like some sort of sordid drama, like something you might see on prime time television. It had suspense, intrigue, and some of the most stunning ups and downs. And all this from a book that attempts to comprehensively explain the hopeful beginnings and hopeless endings of the Clintons' (both Bill and more specifically Hillary) attempts to implement universal health care in the United States. Think back, if you will, to the campaign promises Bill Clinton made in his first campaign. He vowed to fight for universal health care. Many Americans like this idea, but when it comes right down to it, most Americans do not trust the government to provide their health care and also feel that government intervention in private health care makes the system... socialist. Bill wanted to change this, and when he was elected, he appointed his wife, Hillary, to chair a committee to research and implement this new universal health care system. However, this was his first mistake. The American people at that time were very suspicious and skeptical of Mrs. Clinton, feeling that she did not embody what a First Lady should be. They also felt that she had demonstrated no real qualifications for this appointment. The writers of this book document the controversies and problems brilliantly. I felt confident about the facts... until I was happily reading along (the book, despite its daunting length, reads through smoothly and quickly) and found a most glaring and heinous error. The writers were discussing the positions of Fred Grandy, who, after leaving television, went on to represent his home state of Iowa in Congress. We all know Fred Grandy as Gopher on the tv show Love Boat. But this book said that he had been a star on the show Gilligan's Island! I started to exercise real doubt and skepticism about a book that managed to get through all stages of editing with such an easily spotted error on its pages. Whatever the case, if you want to know how the plan was formed and how it was unraveled quite easily not just by opposition Republicans but also by Hillary herself, you should indeed read this. Hillary and her policy wonk friend Ira Magaziner had many opportunities to compromise on some of the points in their health care plan which would have made it an easier sell to Republicans. In fact many Republicans offered to work with Hillary and Magaziner, but the stubborn duo insisted on having the plan intact... and ended up getting nothing. As did the American people.
Our rulers speak. Pay attention, proles!.......2001-06-21
If you read this book in the wrong frame of mind, you won't like it. The wrong frame is to believe that it consists of honest reporting about the U.S. health care system, and the Clinton health bill of `93. It's mainly not reporting. It's advocacy.
The key is found in the intro, where the authors define "The System" that rules USAmerica -- which includes the Presidency, the Congress, the media ... AHH! The fact that they think the media is part of the govt., just not elected, is itself worth the price of this volume.
Taken in this vein, it is quite good. We must have a national health system like a European country's , because ... well, because they feel embarrassed that we aren't like Europe. That the U.S. was settled, predominantly, by people who WANTED NOT TO LIVE IN EUROPE is unimportant to Johnson and Broder, who know better than to take the this self-govt. nonsense seriously.
What is serious is that the USAmerican public rejects 'socialized medicine.' So instead Clinton wrapped it up in his mess of a bill, and then tried to scare us into panic over our health care, saying the system would collapse if we didn't give control of it to the govt. Not true, and Johnson & Broder know it, but hey, can't let truth stand in the way of ruling.
Frequently THE SYSTEM is unintentionally funny, too, as when the authors take a break from reporting the `horse race' political aspects of the story to criticize the media for concentrating on the `horse race' instead of the policy substance, after which they trash the only attempt ever made to discuss the policy substance (Elizabeth McCaughey's famous piece in The New Republic) and go back to reporting the horse race. You sort of wonder if they read their own manuscript.
But have some sympathy. They do mention the policy substance from time to time -- our rulers think we spend far too much money on foolish things like attempting to save the lives of premature infants. Those resources should go to more important things, like health care for "homeless, drug abusing gay and bisexual men of color." I mean, would you want to defend THAT openly?
It's also very useful in assessing the nature of liberal bias in the press. The last chapter of the hardcover first edition, on sale in 1996, told us about good Pres. Clinton's attempts to `save' the federal budget before runaway health care spending wrecked it, and evil House Speaker Newt Gingrich's attempts to `cut health care spending,' when in both cases they were trying to do the same thing -- cut the rate at which spending on health care would increase in the future. That's one way you bias coverage -- describing things in such a way as to create the desired reaction, which in this case was to get us to run out and vote Democratic.
The last chapter of this paperback edition mentions the Kassenbaum-Kennedy bill, passed by Congress and signed by Clinton. All mention of it was carefully left out of the first edition. That's another way of biasing coverage -- leave out the `unimportant' stuff that might confuse the citizenry.
And if you practice your critical thinking skills as you read, you will learn a lot about the chaotic way Clinton ran his administration, how the Democrats lost control of the House after twenty straight wins, why the bill was so complex, and other fascinating stuff.
What you won't learn how the Clinton health plan would have worked, of course. Obviously, they were afraid of your reaction if you found out. That is probably the most important information in the book.
Stunning inside look at politics.......2000-01-07
The Clinton Health Care plan was a bold, dramatic attempt to transform the American health care system to take into account the fact that while America may provide the best health care in the world, far too many of its citizens are unable to afford it. Clinton's attempt, probably the most dramatic attempt at a government program since the Great Society, failed miserably and helped to elect a Republican Congress.
The battle the voters didn't see was the important one- the battle which nearly sank the Clinton Presidency and destroyed its ambitious health care proposal. The powers arrayed against the Clinton plan were formidable and well-financed, aided by the Administration's mind-numbing blunders.
"The System" has the entire story- the high hopes, the stunning reversals, the industry's toxic reaction to reform. The Clintonites quickly found that the old adage is true. No good deed goes unpunished.
"The System" is a very good book at who really calls the shots in American government and how little power people really have against the special interests. More valuable than ten years of civics lessons.
Shows Politics As the Messy But Necessary Evil It Is.......1999-12-30
This is an excellent book for any student of the political process.
The authors are biased. They believe the Hillary Clinton health care plan should have been enacted and present their study from this point of view. Their slant is annoying. However, it ultimately does not detract too much from a very able telling of the conceptualization, selling, manuevering and strategy employed by both sides over the struggle to socialize medicine in the United States.
Although never pretty or highminded as we are taught in civics class, the book shows a democratic (small "d") system at work. Both sides had true believers who were guided by philosophy and were trying to do what was "right." Both sides had craven opportunists driven by darker more mercurial instincts. The American Congress worked to examine the issue and resolve the dispute as the framers had intended: by providing a forum for parties on both sides of the debate to hash out their perspectives and come to a resolution (one must always keep in mind that an equally legitimate action of any legislative body is to say no to proposals that are unwise or do not have sufficient political support.)
This book will educate the average citizen and fascinate the political junkie.
Average customer rating:
- Very Pleased
- Most Helpful for conceiving
- The Mother of All Pregnancy Books
- A great tool for conception and fertility
- Good, but not the best
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The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth, and Everything In Between (U.S. Edition)
Ann Douglas
Manufacturer: Wiley
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ASIN: 0764565168 |
Book Description
The ultimate guide to conception, birth, and everything in between.
Unlike all those otherbossy, tell-you-what-to-do titles, this funny, entertaining guide presents expectant parents with all the facts on such perennial hot topics as pain relief during labor, episiotomy, and circumcision, and empowers them to make informed personal choices. It's packed with tools you won't find anywhere else, including:
- Charts highlighting the risks of using various over-the-counter drug productsduring pregnancy
- Lists of the ten best -- and worst --baby products
- A set of emergency childbirth procedures
- Forthright discussions of difficult topics like infertility, high-risk pregnancy, and pregnancy and infant loss that other books are loathe to tackle
Customer Reviews:
Very Pleased.......2007-08-27
I Was very pleased with this item and would definately recommend it and the supplier as well as use the supplier again myself if the oppotunity presents itself.
Most Helpful for conceiving.......2007-08-06
I have picked up and read several books trying to get specific information about the fertilization process. Alot of books just have the same generalized, generic information that you would get in an average text book, but didn't clearly clarify whether it was best time to try before you ovulate or right after. This is the only book I found so far that really gave me down to earth and very practical information about the most effective timing for getting pregnant and why. I loved that it was both readable and scientifically detailed in its delivery of information. I wish I'd read this two months ago. Alot of pregnancy books including What To Expect When you Are Expecting and The Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy didn't even touch on the specifics of trying to get pregnant. In fact the first chapter of the Mayo book just spends a lot of time scaring women over 35, like me, of how risky and statistically challenged our pregancies might be. These two books might be fine once you get pregnant, but they weren't helpful for getting pregnant.
This book in my opinion bridges the gap between a general info baby book and an infertility book. In fact the book points out that a lot of couples who think they are infertile just don't know when to start trying and how to properly calculate their fertility window. My friend and I are trying to get pregnant and the same time, and when I read her the section on getting pregnant, she was like....this is fascinating. This book is great for people who want specific scientific information in a down to earth delivery.
The Mother of All Pregnancy Books.......2007-07-12
This is the second time I bought this book and everyone says it is so informative. Thank you. :)
A great tool for conception and fertility.......2007-06-27
In a sometimes frustrating struggle to conceive, this book was my bible and Ann Douglas my guru. I read and re-read the chapters on infertility and conception over and over - drifting to other books but always coming back to the "Mother". She doesn't get caught up in too much technical jargon, doesn't preach or offer judgment, and presents a very large amount of material in a straightforward, easy-to-read fashion. The charts are great, and although there is some scary info in here about miscarriages, ectopic, stilbirths, etc., it's important to include, and presented very well. I haven't found it quite as useful or comprehensive for late pregnancy and preparation for birth, but it's still a valuable part of my (large) stack of pregnancy books.
Good, but not the best.......2007-06-21
The conversational tone of the book was a little distracting, and I didn't care for the way it was organized, but I appreciated the positive attitude it portrayed.
There is some good information, but there are other books with more complete information and better organization. My favorites are "1000 Questions About Your Pregnancy" and "Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby's First Year". They are both extremely thorough, well-organized, and work great for reference. Both of these books tend to put things in perspective, maintain a positive tone and really present you with all the facts. In general, I think the pregnancy books written by doctors are the best.
Product Description
Public health
Customer Reviews:
2nd & 3rd Edition.......2002-09-27
The latest printing of the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services includes the "3rd edition" addendum. The 3rd edition updates are new recommendations that in some cases replace chapters from the 2nd edition and the rest are entirely new.
The 2nd edition is presented intact with the 3rd provided as an appendix of 14 additional chapters.
As new chapters become available, they will be provided in subsequent printings.
Thank you,
Thomas Masterson, M.D.
Publisher
International Medical Publishing, Inc.
Great info but now dated!.......2002-09-06
I have used this guide for many years in my practice as a family nurse practitioner. I have also required it of my FNP students. Yet, now is the time for an update as "gold standard" care is rapidly changing.
A Great Resource!.......2000-05-10
As a Family Practice resident, I have used this book many times to help me quickly determine the most appropriate preventative care for my patients. Although quite voluminous, it does provide quick access as well as a thorough review of the reccommended screening guidelines for health care maintinence.
Book Description
In a clear, cohesive format, this book provides a concise survey of the basic structures and operations of the U.S. health system from ists historical origins and resources, to its individual services, cost, and quality.
Customer Reviews:
Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System.......2007-02-06
I ordered this book for a class I am taking. I'm not sure about it yet. It does have the information I need for the class.
A concise and accessible introduction to available US health care.......2006-01-06
Department of Health Policy Management Professor Leiyu Shi and School of Public and Environmental Affairs Associate Professor Douglas Singh present Essentials of the US Health Care System, a concise and accessible introduction to available US health care. Written as a textbook especially for students considering a profession in the field, yet also accessible to lay readers, Essentials of the US Health Care System includes basic information concerning the effects of modern medical technology, the roles of different providers and professionals in US health care, managed care and health networks, long-term care services, and much more. Graphs, charts, and black-and- white photographs round out this excellent primer of basic terms and concepts; each section features a neatly summarized conclusion and a list of references for more information. Also very highly recommended is the author's previous textbook, Delivering Health Care In America: A Systems Approach.
Book Description
Health Policy: Crisis and Reform in the U.S. Health Care Delivery System, Fourth Edition focuses on the health policy and financing issues that health professionals and nurses need to know. Starting with issues of health status of the population and vulnerable groups, this important new book details issues of race, socioeconomics, gender, mental health, homelessness, older women, and social inequality. The emphasis is on the lack of access to care for millions of people who are uninsured or underinsured. This fourth edition expands on the information from previous editions and covers the recent changes in health policy that impact Medicaid, Medicare, managed care, and private health insurance.
Customer Reviews:
Just OK.......2007-01-12
This book is comprised of many articles discussing healthcare policy issues. I would have liked to seen some discussing questions afterward as a means of critically thinking but I guess that is what professors are for. Other than that, the text brings up good topics regarding the state of our healthcare system.
Book Description
This comprehensive, fully updated new edition explains basic concepts as well as current issues to clarify how the U.S. health services system is organized, managed, and financed. Extensive charts and graphs illustrate key system features and trends. A handy reference, this book also includes a glossary which lists and defines all the key terms used in the book, and a 4-page lexicon of acronyms.
What's new in this edition:
All health services expenditure information
An expanded discussion of the public health sector, including additional information on the current status of and proposed changes to Medicare and Medicaid
New information on changes in health insurance plans, health insurance coverage, and recent growth in health insurance premiums
Current information on managed care and managed care organizations, including discussion of the "backlash against managed care"
Customer Reviews:
Review for "Understanding the U.S. Health Services System".......2006-03-22
It is a good fundamental book which describes the current development of the healthcare system in the U.S. Easy to understand.
Book Description
A nip here, a tuck there. Less fat on the belly, butt, and thighs. More than half of all American adults admit they wouldn't mind looking "a little more perfect"-if they could afford the high price of plastic surgery. Now they can, by joining the flocks of medical tourists who are venturing to exotic overseas locales for cosmetic procedures that are equal to or better than those provided by the best doctors in Beverly Hills for as little as 10 percent of the cost.
It's how journalist Jeff Schult got his new smile, and he was so impressed with his experience that he went on to investigate the medical tourist industry and top medical centers from Costa Rica to Brazil to Thailand. The result is Beauty from Afar, a guide that offers consumers the pros and cons of traveling abroad for cosmetic or other elective surgeries. Readers will get the facts on the locations, the doctors, and the facilities, as well as the spa-like resorts where patients recover. The book also offers guidelines on how to do your own research, interview prospective surgeons, and get information about hospitals and amenities-what to expect every step of the way, even when you're back home. Beauty from Afar gives new meaning to the idea of going on vacation and coming back renewed.
Customer Reviews:
Not for me..........2007-06-09
I was looking for information on Thailand. I had better luck on the Internet and my cosmetic trip turned out fine. Since there was little on Thailand I didn't look into what else was in there. So it may be fine for other countries--I don't know.
Thanks to this book, I'm on my way to Brazil!.......2007-04-10
In a few months I will be flying to Vitoria, Brazil for a "total body" makeover with Dr. Fabio Zamprogno Mendes ([...]) thanks to Jeff's book on medical tourism (I'll write back in September and share the results!) After reading the book I had complete confidence to travel outside the U.S. for plastic surgery and the tools to adequately research everything I needed to know to make my trip a success. It's interesting that you may know one or two people who have gone to a U.S. plastic surgeon but the foreign docs have forums where all patients share. I know much more about my foreign doctor and what his patients think of him than I did with any plastic surgeon in the U.S. I can have everything done that I've dreamed of and afford it. My bill will be 60 to 70% cheaper than what I would pay here. By all means, read Jeff's book and embark on the make-over journey you have always wanted!
If you are considering surgery cosmetic or otherwise..........2007-03-17
This is an excellent reference book. It is not only informative, but also an interesting read. Mr. Schult has done all the investigative legwork for you and shares not only his own personal experience, but that of others. I highly recommend this book.
The best most comprehensive guide to medical tourism!.......2006-09-22
Jeff Schult's new book Beauty from Afar is the best most comprehensive guide book on medical tourism I've ever seen. I love the layout of the book. Very easy to read, and to find information. Mr. Schult has a wonderful way of writing that holds your interest while offering invaluable information about medical tourism. He's not biased toward or against one country or doctor over another. He takes a neutral position and simply shares the knowledge he has garnered over several years of intense research. I've recommended this book to all my friends and family members, particularly the ones who I happen to know, are seriously considering going out of the United States for plastic surgery or dental work. I give this book BOTH of my thumbs way way up!
Detailed and informative.......2006-09-21
I was pleased to read "Beauty from Afar". I was at a conference where the author spoke before the book came out and I was eagerly waiting for it. I have been to Brazil twice for plastic surgery and think the book has a lot of good information for those who are considering surgery out of the country. Medical tourism will keep being more popular as people realize that we are not the only country in the world to provide excellent medical care, and that the only way to afford what you need to have done may be to go abroad. Jeff Shult's book tells you what to look for, what to watch out for, and how to choose where to go. He gives a lot of information from people he's personally talked to or visited, so you can trust the information. Some books and articles on the subject are just rehashing what someone found on the Internet. This book actually gives you REAl information from someone who's been there (Costa Rica for dentistry). I highly recommend it as the best one out there of its type.
Book Description
Exceeding $2 trillion annually, health care spending in the United States is growing significantly faster than the national economy. If left unchecked, this health spending crisis will threaten Americans' ability to pay for other essential services. Driven primarily by the cost of benefits promised to seniors under Medicare and Medicaid, federal health expenditures will force lawmakers to make stark policy decisions. In this third volume of Restoring Fiscal Sanity, policy experts suggest ways to slow the growth of federal spending on health care.
Unless federal health spending can be brought under control, Americans will face substantially higher taxes, sharp reductions in other government programs, and cuts in benefits to the elderly. Families, businesses, and communities will be forced to make agonizing choices between health care and other needs. Focusing on policies that do not shift costs to the states or the private sector, the authors of Restoring Fiscal Sanity 2007 suggest reforms in federal programs that have the potential to reduce the growth of spending for the entire health system, increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the care provided, and enhance health outcomes. Drawing on years of government and public policy experience, they stress the need for innovative approaches and cooperation between the private and public sectors.
Book Description
This vitally important exposé shows how the Bush administration has systematically misled Americans on a wide range of scientific issues affecting public health, foreign policy, and the environment by ignoring, suppressing, manipulating, or even distorting scientific research. It is the first book to focus exclusively on how this explosive issue has played out during the Presidency of George W. Bush and the first to comprehensively document his administration's abuses of science.
In 2001, a group of eminent American scientists affiliated with the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) contacted Seth Shulman, an experienced investigative journalist, to look into charges of serious mishandling of scientific information in the current administration. Shulman's investigation resulted in the groundbreaking report "Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policy Making," which served as the basis for a highly publicized UCS scientists' statement accusing the Bush administration of a misuse of science that was signed by dozens of Nobel laureates, National Medal of Science recipients, and members of the National Academy of Sciences. To date, more than 8,000 scientists across the country have signed the statement based upon Shulman's reporting. This book, drawing upon scores of interviews and including never-released information, goes beyond the UCS report to document the Bush administration's suppression and distortion of science, bringing this issue to a wider audience.
Undermining Science covers:
* The Bush administration's abuse and misuse of science in areas including stem cell research, AIDS prevention, environmental protection, the Iraq war, the teaching of evolution, and global warming;
* The administration's use of political litmus tests in selecting administrators for science-based agencies and in selecting scientists on federal advisory committees;
* The dangerous consequences of the Bush administration's war on science for the caliber and integrity of the nation's scientific research.
Shulman explains that, by knowingly misrepresenting and suppressing the truth, the Bush administration broke its covenant with its constituents in the most fundamental way possible, with consequences that reach far beyond the scientific community.
Customer Reviews:
Correct but some bias.......2007-05-18
The other reviews in this section of Shulman's book are quite correct, except I detect more partisan bias. The book is well documented, but there is little counter-balancing content. Motivations of the Bush administration are not fully explored such as the underlying philosophy of the Straussians that science and religion should be fashioned to effect political ends. I expect that anti-Bushies will enjoy this work, and Bush supporters will trivialize it. I think Chris Mooney's 'The Republican War on Science' is probably more even handed, but with all works of this nature one should 'trust but verify'.
a first-rate book.......2007-04-15
This book looks at the ways that the Bush Administration has systematically misled the American public on policy matters by ignoring, suppressing or distorting scientific research. Politics has always been a part of science on the federal level, and a healthy debate on science is welcomed, but, according to many current and former government scientists, the climate has never been as bad as during the Bush Administration.
Abstinence and the use of contraceptives have been shown to be very effective in reducing national rates of teen pregnancy and HIV infection. But, abstinence alone (the Bush Administration policy) is close to worthless as an anti-HIV and anti-pregnancy policy. As Chief of Staff of the Council on Environmental Quality, Philip Cooney rewrote many government reports to make it sound like there was great disagreement about global warming in the scientific community, when such disagreement did not exist. His qualifications included being a lawyer for the American Petroleum Institute.
Other Bush Administration strategies include appointing partisans, who consider ideology more important than science, to second- and third-level positions (where the real work is done) and using political litmus tests. If a scientist is not sufficiently loyal to the Administration, or was part of a full-page newspaper ad critical of the Administration, they could forget about being appointed to any federal advisory board or commission, regardless of their professional qualifications.
This first-rate book also looks at the manipulation and cherry picking of Iraqi intelligence, Bush's "Clear Skies" and "Healthy Forests" policies, stem cells and "intelligent design." This easy-to-read expose is not partisan, and is a worthy addition to what seems to be the growing list of books critical of the Bush Administration.
The Difference Between Science and Political Policy.......2007-03-11
The author starts the book with an analysis of the difference between science and political policy. Of course, science creates facts that are proven through testing and then reviewed for accuracy through peer review. And, political policy is what you do after you know what the science of the issue is. You can adjust public policy based on fact, but you cannot change fact to fit with public policy...or can you?
In the book, the author demonstrates the Bush administrations total disdain for science and its results. From global warming to Pacific salmon to coal mining and many others examples, the author shows how this administration makes its public policy first and then figures a way to make the science fit the facts. This may mean firing scientists who will not produce the result you want, or placing mid level political appointees in office to bury reports in desks so they will never see the light of day. The author shows, time and again, how this is done and why.
It appears there are many reasons for Bush's hatred for the scientific community, but the most prevalent seems to be that they might interfere with the profit making potential of big donors. In addition, Bush seems to use his "Christianity" to make policy and discredit the science that doesn't fit neatly into his view of the world.
If this book were written by a hard left writer, it could be dismissed as the ranting of someone with a hatred for Bush. Sadly, the book is heavily endnoted and each item is backed up by numerous sources.
Do not let the name "Science" in the book turn you off. It is extremely well written and is a generally easy read. The science portion is written for anyone to understand and the arguments presented are clear and straightforward. This book is a must read for anyone who cares about what is happening in Washington and should be a primer in what not to do with science in college courses.
Many examples gathered together.......2007-02-11
This book covers the many instances in which the current administration has appointed a non-scientist (or scientist with questionable credentials) into a position of power to skew and alter scientific data. The author was approached by the Union of Concerned Scientists to document the problem, and this book is a collection of his data.
At first glimpse, I remember the original articles and complaints. Part of me wished that this problem would correct itself. As the book demonstrates, and as I see in the news, this problem is still with us. One good example is the problem of global warming.
As I read, I thought at times that this seemed one-sided. After looking at the copious amount of citations and documents to back up the claims, I was appalled that this sort of falsification of scientific data, which is relied on by all citizens, would continue without remorse.
I believe that everyone should read this book. We need to be aware of what is happening and speak up to prevent this from damaging our scientific integrity.
Bush Doesn't Do Nuance OR Science.......2007-02-09
In 2001, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) contacted Shulman to investigate purposeful mishandling of scientific information by the Bush administration. His report, "Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policy Making," served as the basis for UCS's assessment that Bush and his group were relegating science to the broom closet whenever it disagreed with the Republican agenda. The statement was eventually signed by over 8,000 reputable US scientists, many of international stature. This book expands upon that report, documenting Bush's systematic and widespread censorship and distortion of science throughout the government.
Key agenda items (among scores of others) for Bush have been squelching stem cell research, denying condom use in AIDS prevention, protecting industry from the EPA, protecting the anti-abortion movement, protecting industry from global warming advocates, and selectively promoting his own religious faith. To accomplish its purposes, the Bush administration has:
*used political litmus tests in selecting administrators for science-based agencies, federal advisory committees, and appointees throughout the government, many subsequent appointees being unqualified.
*routinely tried to shelve, censor, or change scientific gov't reports that conflict with administrative policy.
*allowed private industry to participate in and even dictate outcomes of gov't policy-making.
Shulman provides dozens of examples with careful documentation. In order to achieve these goals without legislation, here are a few of Bush's administrative rule changes for the handling of scientific and technical information by the federal government:
*They limit what questions gov't staff or scientists are allowed to ask.
*They put constraints on methods available for seeking answers.
*They restrict selection of who is allowed to ask questions, seek answers, or give advice in gov't agencies.
*They suppress findings strictly because they conflict with administrative policy.
*They sanction misleading and unjustified claims simply because they bolster claims that are "approved of" by the administration.
*They routinely place ideological, rigid, non-scientist supervisors in charge of gov't scientific research programs.
*They have a chilling effect on the scientific community by exacting retribution, including dismissal, against scientists who ask unapproved questions or produce unapproved results.
The trend to misuse or avoid input from science appears to have started about thirty years ago when political lobbies began to gain a foothold in Washington. Gradually, [lobbyist-lubricated] legislative changes have taken the teeth out of the ability of some of our controlling agencies to even operate. With these safeguards removed, perhaps another administration of either party would have realized their opportunity and taken advantage - however previous administrations have never had as many agenda items so unfriendly to the findings of mainstream science. The Bush administration has developed the politization and debasing of science into an art form.
Science is a special way of communicating - its methods and knowledge base are the same throughout the world, regardless of culture or politics. Even without a common language, if you put scientists together from the same discipline, they will enthusiastically find a way to communicate. Bertrand Russell said, "Almost everything that distinguishes the modern world from earlier centuries is attributable to science." The scientific method with its reliance on evidence and experimentation is not perfect but compared to other methods of gaining knowledge, it is the one most likely to be right.
The politization of science is a severe challenge to government. We can't allow science to rule us directly, but neither can we ignore that we desperately need its best input. A working knowledge of science can at times require graduate level expertise - the learning curve is steep. To expect politicians to make good decisions without high quality unbiased scientific input is simply ridiculous.
"Undermining Science" is a burning indictment of this anti-science administration. I have been reading snippets about the situation in scientific magazines for about five years now, and it is timely that this competent journalist has compiled the data for us in such a clear manner. History tells that this is not a new fight and that science will win out in the long run. This book is a "must read" along with Chris Mooney's excellent "Republican War On Science."
Book Description
Provides a clear description of all key aspects of the health care system to make it easier for the reader to evaluate the potential impact of proposals for health care reform. Using case studies and simplified presentations of major issues, this book gives the reader an appreciation of the dilemma confronting policy makers, providers, and patients: how to balance cost, quality, and access. It examines specific health care organization aspects such as the medical profession, hospitals, managed care organizations, and government health care programs. It also discusses policy changes that have had major impacts on American health care in the past decade. For health care providers, policy makers, consumers and others interested in health care in the U.S.
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