Bryan Keogh, The Conversation and Danielle Douez, The Conversation
Trump has threatened a showdown over funding his proposed barrier between the U.S. and Mexico. Our experts offer a primer – from a history of walls to costs.
Peter C. Doherty, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
In its broadest sense, the March for Science aims to cause US legislators to reflect a little and understand what they risk if they choose to erode their global scientific leadership.
As President Trump puts U.S. foreign aid on the chopping block, few Americans know much about it. Perhaps even fewer realize that the U.S. lags behind its peers on this front.
What are research dollars actually spent on? Rather than looking at artifacts like publications and patents, a new initiative directly tracks the people and businesses that receive research funding.
Abram Van Engen, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis
Trump’s budget would eliminate the National Endowment for the Humanities, breaking a tradition of funding humanities scholarship that goes back to the nation’s founding.
Trump has pledged to invest big in infrastructure. An analysis shows the electric grid will need hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade just to keep things as they are.
Daniel Wirls, University of California, Santa Cruz
Trump’s first budget proposal would boost defense spending by US$52 billion, but his desired military buildup is premised on misleading claims and lacks a strategic vision.
Roy T. Meyers, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Trump is proposing a budget with little substance and filled with politically toxic spending cuts, making it very unlikely to go anywhere, even in a Republican Congress.
Trump has indicated he wants to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts in his budget to save money. The impact on many US museums could be devastating.
Roy T. Meyers, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
A 2010 law that requires the executive branch to set goals and an obscure Senate rule may be the Democrats’ best chance to influence GOP plans to repeal and replace Obamacare.
Innovation is a huge part of economic growth – and the White House needs to be well-informed on science and tech issues when setting goals and budgets. Here’s how presidents get up to speed.
President Trump’s 2018 budget request cuts funding for NASA Earth observation research and cancels four missions. Weather forecasters, businesses, scientists and the armed forces rely on this data.
A study estimates that Americans would pay $92 billion yearly in extra taxes to protect national parks. But the Trump Administration’s budget calls for cuts.
The budgeting method seems to be back in vogue 39 years after Jimmy Carter introduced it to the federal government. So what is it and can it change our free-spending ways?