Science Pub: When Ideology Trumps Science: Why We Question the Experts on Everything From Climate Change to Vaccinations

Using examples from high-stakes policy debates centered on hot-button controversies such as climate change, immunization and stem cell research, Wolters and Steel document the many reasons policymakers decline to take science into account when making decisions that affect the general population. In addition, their research identifies the propensity of both liberals and conservatives to ignore scientific consensus when it diverges from their ideological positions. Possible approaches for overcoming this divide in policy will also be presented for discussion.