Science In Democracy
A National Initiative for Evidence-Informed Leadership
Science in Democracy is a national effort to ensure that science and evidence are central to how leaders make decisions. This initiative supports a growing network of civically engaged scholars and practitioners working to engage candidates and elected officials on the issues that shape our lives.
Science in Democracy matters because lives are on the line.
The decisions leaders make on health, climate, and emerging technologies shape our safety, our economy, and our future. This initiative exists to ensure those decisions are grounded in evidence, guided by integrity, and accountable to the public.
Bringing science into the political arena.
Questionnaires to Candidates
Volunteers lead this effort by designing a candidate questionnaire and directly contacting candidates in their states to collect responses.
We share these responses across our website, social media channels, and newsletter to educate our community ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and help voters understand where candidates stand.
Volunteers also identify and pursue additional distribution channels to expand our reach and strengthen public impact.
Science Briefs for Candidates
Volunteers develop concise, nonpartisan one-page science briefs that translate research into clear, accessible insights for candidates navigating complex policy issues.
These briefs are designed to meet candidates where they are, providing clear, credible information that can be readily used in speeches, debates, and policy development.
Focused on high-impact topics such as health, climate, and emerging technologies, the briefs highlight key facts and policy considerations grounded in scientific evidence. Through this work, volunteers build skills in translating science for policy while helping strengthen evidence-based leadership.
Why it matters
Science in Democracy matters because the stakes are real and lives are on the line.
This campaign exists because people need policymakers who use evidence, respond honestly in times of crisis, and understand that science affects our safety, health, and future.
People first
Civically engaged STEAM scholars and practitioners are the heart of this work. They are the ones asking hard questions, serving communities, and helping the public see what is at stake.
What ADDSTEAM does
ADDSTEAM helps build the movement by providing training webinars and material, coordinating activities like sending candidate questionnaires or conducting interviews, and creating leadership opportunities that help others do their best work.
What we are building together
A durable national movement for the 2026 and 2028 elections that supports fact based policymaking on health and climate, because real lives depend on it.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR SCIENCE IN DEMOCRACY?
A campaign built to help civically minded STEAM leaders ensure science is always front and center in the political arena.
Science Debate is back, organized by ADDSTEAM, with its co-founders serving as advisors. This next iteration will support a truly diverse and nationwide network of scholars and practitioners who want to engage candidates on science and technology in service of the public. We’re calling in Science in Democracy!
CAMPAIGN VISION
Think CNN debate energy, March for Science popularity,
and a civic home for early career scientists.
ADDSTEAM helps organize the infrastructure, but the people at the center are scholars and practitioners who care deeply about bringing evidence, honesty, and public service into elections.
How Science in Democracy Started
Science Debate was co-founded in 2007 by Matthew Chapman, Shawn Lawrence Otto, Chris Mooney, Lawrence Krauss, Austin Dacey, and Sheril Kirshenbaum. Michael Halpern and Darlene Cavalier joined the organization shortly after. The primary reason for starting Science Debate was in response to the near absence of science and technology topics in the presidential debates and in the campaigns. Within weeks of its founding, people and organizations from across the political spectrum signed the following petition:
"Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific innovation plays in spurring economic growth, we call for public debates in which the U.S. presidential and congressional candidates share their views on science and technology, health and medicine, and the environment."
Supporters included prominent institutions such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the U.S. National Academies, as well as political strategists ranging from John Podesta, President Bill Clinton’s former chief of staff, on the left to Newt Gingrich, former House Speaker, on the right.
Who Engaged in Science Debate
In 2008, then nominees Senator Barak Obama and Senator John McCain responded to “Fourteen Top Science Questions Facing America.” Their answers were shared widely online and published in the journal Nature.
In 2012, President Obama and then Republican nominee Governor Mitt Romney participated and Scientific American published the responses.
In 2016, all four major candidates: President Donald Trump, Senator Hillary Clinton, Governor Gary Johnson, and Jill Stein responded in writing to “Twenty key science questions facing America.”
In 2018, ScienceDebate.org worked with state teams to invite House, Senate and Gubernatorial candidates to participate.
In 2020 and 2022 ScienceDebate.org partnered with National Science Policy Network. The civic scholars asked state and local candidates questions in 40 of 50 states. Unlike in 2016, when presidential candidates answered science questions, the Scientific American website did not feature a Q&A with candidates in 2020, but did endorse President Biden, the first time they had endorsed a candidate in the organization’s 175 year existence.