Where Harris and Trump Stand on Science and Technology Policy Issues

Abstract

Across the United States, there are significant efforts to encourage university students to vote. University of Michigan, for example, has created UMICH Votes to increase student voter turnout. These efforts are succeeding—student voting rose from 52% in the 2016 presidential election to 66% in 2020.

However, students in STEM fields consistently vote at lower rates than their counterparts. To help address this deficit, students involved with University of Michigan’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) Program at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, have summarized the two main presidential candidates’ positions on issues likely to be of interest to STEM students: scientific research funding, technology policy, immigration policy, energy policy, environmental policy, and environmental justice policy.