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How Politics Percolates Through Science Assessment

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  • Choi, Dahyun

Abstract

Scientific research has been considered a primary source of information for improving policy outcomes, but its use is inevitably intertwined with political considerations. Using a comprehensive dataset of peer-reviewed journal articles evaluated for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, this paper examines the trade-off between partisan bias and evidence quality in internal science evaluation by government agencies. I find that the integration of science into policymaking is guided by a pursuit of expertise but biased in favor of the presidential administration. The evaluation of low-quality studies is more susceptible to partisan bias, while high-quality studies remain relatively unaffected. This work not only provides an empirical examination of long-standing questions about how information is used by politically divergent factions but also illuminates the pathways through which academic research connects the contours of evidence-based policymaking.

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  • Choi, Dahyun, 2025. "How Politics Percolates Through Science Assessment," OSF Preprints ujyec, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:osfxxx:ujyec
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/ujyec
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    References listed on IDEAS

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