Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 03/2010

Scientific Misconduct: The Manipulation of Evidence for Political Advocacy in Health Care and Climate Policy

George Avery

February 2010

The Cato Institute

Abstract

Science is increasingly being manipulated by those who try to use it to justify political choices based on their ethical preferences and who are willing to suppress evidence of conflict between those preferences and the underlying reality. This problem is clearly seen in two policy domains, health care and climate policy.