Since the beginning of modern science policy in the mid-20th century, the executive branch has taken the lead on supporting scientific research and relying on scientific expertise when making policy. Whatever the benefits of this arrangement—think NASA or the National Institutes of Health—it has often left Congress playing a perfunctory role in science policy, aside from footing the bill. Partly as a result, the Constitution's First Branch has become less and less effective at exercising its lawmaking powers and conducting oversight. A recent bill about the law enforcement implications of encryption technology, for example, was widely criticized for its technical illiteracy (and did not pass).
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