Scientists, business, and the state, 1890-1960

by Patrick J. McGrath

"Beginning in the late nineteenth century and continuing into the 1960s, scientists allied themselves with corporate, political, and military elites. They did so not just to improve their professional standing and win more money for research, says Patrick McGrath, but for political reasons as well. They wanted to use their institutional connections to effect a transformation of American political culture. They succeeded, but not in ways that all scientists envisioned or agreed upon." "McGrath describes how, between 1890 and 1960, scientific, business, and political leaders together forged a new definition of American democracy in which science and technology were presented to the public as crucial ingredients of the nation's progress, prosperity, and political stability. Scientists even argued that the very act of expert collaboration, whether in business or politics, offered a model of ways to solve social problems and achieve political stability." "But as scientists became more promi