U.S. President Donald Trump’s systematic dismantling of America’s scientific infrastructure isn't just a domestic crisis — it represents an existential threat to international development efforts and global governance structures that depend on reliable scientific data.
Since resuming office in January, the Trump administration has taken aggressive steps to minimize the role of science in the federal government. The dismantlement of scientific agencies, funding cuts for scientific research, and mass layoffs of scientists raise the risk of public health crises, threaten to increase environmental degradation, and may slow the pace of technological progress.
These efforts are not unique to Trump, nor are the repercussions limited to the United States. In new research, we show that targeting of scientific expertise has long been a part of populist governments’ playbooks and demonstrate the knock-on effects for the functioning of international organizations — particularly those active in the global development space.
About the authors
Allison Carnegie
Allison Carnegie is a professor of political science at Columbia University. She received a joint doctorate in political science and economics from Yale University in 2014. She is a co-author of “Secrets in Global Governance” (Cambridge University Press, 2020), with Austin Carson, and the author of “Power Plays” (Cambridge University Press, 2015).
Richard ClarkProfRickyClark
Richard Clark is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on international cooperation, finance, and development. You can read more about him and his work at www.richardtclark.com.
Noah Zucker
Noah Zucker is an assistant professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, researching the political economy of climate change. He has published in journals including the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and World Politics. He holds a doctorate in Political Science from Columbia University.
