Editor’s Note: Introducing “Lab Coats and Legislation: Science at Crossroads” - Harvard Political Review

Jun 25, 2025

From slashing U.S. commitment to the Paris Agreement to proposing the construction of the “Golden Dome,” the Trump administration has, in its first six months, already catalyzed an irrevocable transformation in the governance of various fields of science. These legislative changes have touched individuals across the country permeated through our everyday interactions, from altering the prices of home appliances and groceries to protecting personal safety and privacy online. Beyond their domestic influences, these decisions have also shifted the nation’s position and soft power on the global stage.

In the Science & Technology section’s new weekly series “Lab Coats and Legislation: Science at Crossroads,” contributors investigate how the administration’s actions have redefined and revolutionized the U.S.’s approach to the integral areas of national defense, agriculture, climate, public health, and AI policy. The articles assess how Trump’s choices have affected different groups, the potential pathways his attitude toward these sectors could take in the coming years, and the roles states and other stakeholders can play. Ultimately, this series centers around one age-old question: How can we safeguard the integrity of science in a world where science and politics are inherently intertwined?