HOW POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC

CONCERNS CAN AFFECT SCIENCE, AND VICE

VERSA.
BY: EL WHITCOMB

POLITICS, ECONOMY, AND SCIENCE

Though it may seem like politics and

the economy are completely different,

they actually do affect each other. In
my presentation I will show you how
they can affect one another.

POLITICS AFFECTING SCIENCE

The main way Politics affects scientific research is through funding. The

government funds different fields in scientific research depending on how

important they find the research. Without the funds the research would
cease and we would not be improving in that field. Examples of this,
The Presidential Election
The Cold War Space Race
The Manhattan Project
Diseases- Ebola or Zika Virus

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AFFECTING SCIENCE RESEARCH

Abortion/ Stem
Cell Research

ng

g
in
nd
Fu

i
nd
Fu

Republican

Republicans are against abortion

and stem cell research.

Military
Equipment

Democratic

Democrats support abortion

and stem cell research.

The upcoming Presidential Election will heavily affect scientific research. One example is stem cell
research and abortion. If a Democratic candidate makes it into office, they will most likely take out
funding from other fields (military research and engineering) and put those funds into abortion and
stem cell. If a Republican makes it into office they will most likely take out the funding from

COLD WAR- SPACE RACE

The Cold War took place after World War 11. This war was between the

worlds two main powers, U.S.A and Russia. Neither country directly
attacked one another, so instead one way they tried to claim
dominance over each other was in science. For example, The Space
Race.
The Space Race was when Russia and America fought to see who could
make it to space first.
Because of this rivalry, America funded NASA. They also put in money
to many Universities for them to research in military equipment.

VS

OLD SOVIET SPACE PROGRAM

POSTER

OLD AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAM SUPPORT

PAPER

COLD WAR- SPACE RACE

This example is important. It shows how the politics between

the two countries changed how much each country funded

their science. It also shows how science can affect politics.
America made it to the moon first, and that made a
statement saying democracy gives better results than
communism. This Space Race also helped lead to the fall of
The Soviet Union. They had invested too much money into
their space program, money they didnt have.
The Soviet Union falling was a huge deal, it basically made
Russia into a new country because of the fall. This is a great
example of how science affects politics.
There is still controversy of who won the Space Race. Some
say the Soviet since they sent the Sputnik Satellite into
space first, which started the want for the American Space
Program, or America since they had an astronaut land on the
moon first.

Mikhail Gorbachev

OLD POLITICAL COMIC ABOUT THE

SOVIET UNION FALL

OLD NEWS PAPER FROM THE TIME OF THE

SOVIET UNION FALL

AFTER THE COLD WAR

After the Cold War, politics still affected

NASA.
Kennedy was the president who started the

Fund
s

space program to rival Russias, but after his

assassination, a new president was elected.
Nixon was elected after Kennedy, but Nixon

hated Kennedy and all that he stood for.

Nixon tried to shut down NASA, just because
Kennedy had started it.
against NASA. The funds started going more
towards environmental issues and research
for different things like solar power since they
where in an oil shortage. He failed to shut
down NASA, but NASAs funds did decrease.
This example show how rivalries between

presidents or politicians can affect science

Fund
s

Funds decreased and he turned people

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT

The Manhattan Project took place during World War 11. The

Manhattan project was held in the U.S and was the project that
developed the first atomic bomb.
Albert Einstein, who fled Nazi persecution, and Enrico Fermi, who
escaped Fascist Italy, informed President Roosevelt of The Axis
Powers having atomic technology. This encouraged Roosevelt to
start funding research to develop atomic technology. Though he
took the research slow, he still funded scientists like Einstein and
Fermi to develop the technology.

Axis Powers (Bad guys)- Japan, Germany,

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT

After Enricos team of scientists had

successfully made a controlled nuclear

reaction, Roosevelt started to fund more
and the project sped up at a rapid pace.
This was an extremely top secret project,
that no one knew about.
During the time of this project Roosevelt
passed away and Truman was elected. He
hadnt even known about this project until
he got elected.
America had the advanced nuclear
technology, and the only country even close
to making an atomic bomb, but one other
country found out. Russia and or The Soviet
Union. They had a spy in the group of
scientist who had informed The Soviet about
this project.

Klaus Fuchs- The Atomic Ring Spy

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT

Though our information was given to the Soviet, we where still the only

country to develop an atomic bomb in World War 11. Towards the end
of the war when all of the Axis had surrendered, except Japan, we had
used the bombs on Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This ended the
second World War and had prevented much bloodshed, including Japan
getting taken over by the Soviet.
This example shows how war and our need for weapons can influence
science. We had used science to end a World War. It was a terrible thing
that happened, and so many people died, but Japan would have been
worse off if we hadnt.

LOCATIONS OF HIROSHIMA AND

NAGASAKI

Hiroshima

Nagasaki

DISEASES- EBOLA AND ZIKA

Diseases also have a huge impact on the scientific world. For example, when Ebola had

started to spread to other countries, it created a panic among citizens. Politicians then
funded scientist to come up with a cure or to find some way to contain it.
Companies, politicians, the government, so many different people fund science, especially
when funding it can make the citizens like them more.
Them funding causes like disease research can make citizens like them more, and if they
are a candidate in a race, they can get more votes.
When they fund research, they usually fund what is most important in the world at the
time.
They funded Ebola research when the disease was spreading, because it was life
threatening. And most recently, the Zika virus has been the most recent disease to get
funded.

ZIKA AND EBOLA PHOTOS

THE END :3 :P
BY: EL WHITCOMB