This book examines the politics of cancer, explains how our government is intrinsically tied to cancer research efforts, and documents how major political actors make cancer policy and are influenced in their decision making by political, social, scientific, and economic variables. Is whether we contract cancer—and whether we survive the disease, if we get it—largely just a result of good versus bad luck, or are these outcomes regarding cancer tied to the policies and actions of our federal government? Cancer-treating drug development and approval is overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, billions of dollars of federal money are devoted towards cancer research, and exposure of citizens to potentially cancer-causing environments or chemicals is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, all of these factors can be affected by the political motivations of our most powerful politicians. The Politics of Cancer: Malignant Indifference analyzes the policy environment of cancer in America: the actors, the political institutions, the money, and the disease itself, identifying how haphazard U.S. government policy toward cancer research has been and how the president, Congress, government bureaucracies, and even the cancer industry have failed to meet timelines and make the expected discoveries. Whitman Cobb examines funding for the National Cancer Institute and the roles of the executive, Congress, policy entrepreneurs, and the bureaucracy as well as that of the state of cancer science. She argues that despite the so-called "war on cancer," no strategic, comprehensive government policy has been imposed—leading to an indecisive cancer policy that has significantly impeded cancer research. Written from a political science perspective, the book enables readers to gain insight into the realities of science policy and the ways in which the federal government is both the source of funding for much of cancer research and often deficient in setting comprehensive and consistent anti-cancer policy. Readers will also come to understand how Congress, the president, the bureaucracy, and the cancer industry all share responsibility for the current state of cancer policy confusion and consider whether pharmaceutical companies, for-profit cancer treatment hospitals, and interest groups like the American Cancer Society have a personal incentive to keep the fight alive.

This book explores the privatization of space and its global impact on the future of commerce, peace and conflict. As space becomes more congested, contested, and competitive in the government and the private arenas, the talk around space research moves past NASA's monopoly on academic and cultural imaginations to discuss how Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is making space "cool" again. This volume addresses the new rhetoric of space race and weaponization, with a focus on how the costs of potential conflict in space would discourage open conflict and enable global cooperation. It highlights the increasing dependence of the global economy on space research, its democratization, plunging costs of access, and growing economic potential of space-based assets. Thoughtful, nuanced, well-documented, this book is a must read for scholars and researchers of science and technology studies, space studies, political studies, sociology, environmental studies, and political economy. It will also be of much interest to policymakers, bureaucrats, think tanks, as well as the interested general reader looking for fresh perspectives on the future of space.

This book explores the privatization of space and its global impact on the future of commerce, peace and conflict. As space becomes more congested, contested, and competitive in the government and the private arenas, the talk around space research moves past NASA's monopoly on academic and cultural imaginations to discuss how Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is making space "cool" again. This volume addresses the new rhetoric of space race and weaponization, with a focus on how the costs of potential conflict in space would discourage open conflict and enable global cooperation. It highlights the increasing dependence of the global economy on space research, its democratization, plunging costs of access, and growing economic potential of space-based assets. Thoughtful, nuanced, well-documented, this book is a must read for scholars and researchers of science and technology studies, space studies, political studies, sociology, environmental studies, and political economy. It will also be of much interest to policymakers, bureaucrats, think tanks, as well as the interested general reader looking for fresh perspectives on the future of space.

"Unbroken Government" presents a positive message about the United States government by exploring the influence of presidents, the Congress, and bureaucracies in making policy. Using a three stage theory of the policymaking process, Whitman Cobb shows how only some institutions are influential at certain points in time: the Senate and president when policy problems first emerge, the House of Representatives and bureaucracy in routine periods, and the Senate and president during periods of crisis. Employing analyses of such varied case studies as human spaceflight and clean air, Unbroken Government focuses on policymaking actions rarely seen and demonstrates that despite a seeming breakdown in government, policymaking continues on unabated.

Unbroken Government demonstrates how institutional and electoral characteristics present since the writing of the Constitution influence policy development. Utilizing policy areas as diverse as human spaceflight, clean air, homeland security, and foreign policy, this work shows how these patterns manifest themselves in the policymaking process.

Political science has changed; the way students learn has changed; so too should the way it's taught. This is political science, today. Political Science Today by Wendy Whitman Cobb gives you a holistic view of the subfields that make up political science by dedicating one chapter to each of the topics at the core of the discipline. Unlike denser texts on the market, Political Science Today uses a field-based approach that allows you to engage with the material directly and dig into each of the discipline's diverse subfields while also developing critical thinking skills, discerning the differences between politics and political science, conducting and consuming research, and broadening your future career aspirations. The book's innovative table of contents begins with foundational tools like theories and research methods, then builds up to subfield chapters on Comparative Politics, International Relations, American Government, Political Economy, and Public Policy and Administration. Current case studies throughout the text provide a backdrop for engaging classroom discussions on topics such as President Trump's travel ban, ISIS as a state, and strengths and weaknesses of the United Nations. This unique approach provides short segments of topic coverage, plenty of summarizing content and review questions, as well as comprehensive learning objectives which will help you understand the realities of political science today. Also available as a digital option (courseware). Learn more about Political Science Today - Vantage Digital Option [ISBN: 978-1-0718-2856-4]