Innovation should be focus of next president

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The French philosopher and author Bernard-Henri Lévy has some advice for the next US president in light of Asia’s rise in strength. In a September 14 open letter on The Huffington Post, he discusses America’s declining manufacturing base: “The ground that was lost in the factories of Ohio and Michigan will never be recovered.” But, he adds, the next president can take three steps to deal with the country’s decline: ensure that the patents behind the products manufactured in Asia continue to be “made in the USA,” ensure that people continue to think that American universities “offer the best possible education for the movers and shakers of the world,” and “ensure that American banks continue to offer the most sophisticated and secure financial services to those in possession of the world’s accrued profits.”

Certain American financial institutions are not fairing well as I write this, so perhaps innovation and education offer the next president the most promising opportunities for accomplishment. How might each candidate respond to Lévy’s advice? Their answers to questions on innovation and education posed by Science Debate 2008 offer some hints.

Asked what policies he would implement to foster innovation, Barack Obama states “...the US annually imports $53 billion more in advanced technology products than we export. China is now the world’s number one high technology exporter. This competitive situation may only worsen over time because the number of US students pursuing technical careers is declining.” He wants to increase funding for basic research at a rate that would double basic research budgets over the next decade. And he would make the federal R&D tax credit permanent. In addition, he writes, he would work to guarantee students access to strong science curricula “at all grade levels so they graduate knowing how science works—using hands-on, IT-enhanced education.”

Responding to Science Debate 2008’s question on innovation, John McCain says he is committed to “effectively protecting American intellectual property in the United States and around the globe.” He says he would streamline burdensome regulations and cut “wasteful earmarks in order to allocate funds for science and technology investments.” He also says, “My policies will provide broad pools of capital, low taxes and incentives for research in America, a commitment to a skilled and educated workforce, and a dedication to opening markets around the globe.” He would also support STEM education programs at government scientific agencies and believes these agencies can and should play a key role in the education of future engineers and scientists.

So how do the candidates stack up on innovation? Obama’s response to Science Debate 2008 is more specific, with calls to double basic research budgets and make the R&D tax credit permanent. McCain takes a look back—“In the last decade, there has been an explosion in the ways Americans communicate with family, friends, and business partners; shop and connect with global markets; educate themselves; become more engaged politically; and consume and even create entertainment”—intimating, perhaps, that progress will continue with minimal government intervention.

Perhaps what’s most encouraging is that the campaigns took the time to respond to Science Debate 2008.