White House plan for a ‘golden age’ of science ignores the structures that made the US a scientific superpower

The Trump administration released 'Science: A New Golden Age,' arguing that American science policy has become too bureaucratic and too slow to translate discoveries into economic advantage. The critique has merit—but The Conversation's analysis raises a harder question: what actually built American scientific leadership in the first place? The postwar model did far more than generate innovations. It constructed institutions. Universities trained generations of scientists and engineers while maintaining specialized infrastructure that accelerates breakthroughs. Federal agencies funded research that markets wouldn't support alone—from weather prediction to disease prevention. Building scientific capacity takes decades; eroding it happens far faster. As these institutions now face funding pressure from current policy shifts, critics worry about losing the institutional depth that enabled American scientific dominance. China, meanwhile, has invested heavily in research universities and infrastructure, and is now a serious competitor in innovation across multiple fields.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton