DOI: 10.1126/science.ael2482 ISSN: 0036-8075
A democracy tax in support of science
John PalfreyOver the past 19 months, the devastating effects of federal cuts to science funding in the United States have become plain: Young researchers are leaving scientific fields. Labs are struggling to fund promising projects, limiting hiring, training, and sometimes shuttering altogether. Data collected over decades will instead collect dust, ending future scientific discovery and innovation. But perhaps the most serious consequence has been overlooked—the importance of free scientific inquiry to democracy.