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Science and Democracy

Powerful partners targeted by powerful interests.

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Powerful partners targeted by powerful interests.

What we're facing

Every day, decisions are made that affect all of us—laws, regulations, and other policy choices that have the potential to make our communities safer, healthier, fairer, and better prepared for a challenging future.

If these decisions are to be practical and effective, they must be grounded in facts and evidence. If they are to be just and equitable, everyone in the community must have a voice in their making. Thus science and democracy are indispensable partners in ensuring that public decisions serve the public interest.

But the public interest doesn’t necessarily align with the interests of the powerful. As a result, science and democracy are often targeted by those who see their bottom lines or political power at stake. These attacks do real harm when they succeed—and those of us already carrying the heaviest burdens, communities of color and people living in poverty, suffer most.

The Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists works for strong, independent public science, a robust, transparent democracy, justice for overburdened communities, and the effective use of science in making policy that serves the common good. You can help.

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