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How much should politics influence science, and vice versa? National Science Board’s ousting resurrects an existential debate

  • Written by Caroline Wagner, Professor of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University
imageThe governing structure of the National Science Foundation partially insulated science from political control.Evgeny Gromov/iStock via Getty Images Plus

“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump,” read 22 emails sent from the White House Presidential Personnel Office on Friday afternoon, April 24, 2026, “I am writing to inform you...

Read more: How much should politics influence science, and vice versa? National Science Board’s ousting...

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