Technology assessment in the United States: reinvention and reinvigoration

Timothy Persons

Chapter 16 in Handbook of Technology Assessment, 2024, pp 163-173 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Science and Technology (S&T) policy in the U.S. has evolved significantly from the Space Race era to the present day. Following the launch of Sputnik and the rise of various environmental and nuclear issues, Congress established the Office of Technology Assessment in 1972 to provide it with objective analysis of complex scientific and technical issues. After the defunding of OTA in 1995, several institutions have emerged to fill the gap-most significantly the GAO, providing nonpartisan, data-driven analysis and policy options on a range of S&T topics. In 2019, GAO and Congress created the STAA as testament to continued and growing importance of TA in today's era of rapid innovation and disruption, emphasizing the ongoing need for institutions that can provide objective and authoritative analysis to inform policy decisions. That same year, NAPA also issued its report providing options for expansion of congressional S&T capacity and mechanisms for absorption of quality S&T information.

Keywords: Economics and Finance; Innovations and Technology; Sociology and Social Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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