President Obama’s State of the Union address last night demonstrated the importance of U.S. science and economic competitiveness to a prosperous and growing middle class. His focus on “keeping the American Dream alive,” invoking core American values of “fair play,” and “shared responsibility,” were inexorably linked to his administration’s past innovation policy actions and proposals for 2012. This reflects the Obama administration’s clear understanding that innovation is an intrinsic aspect...

Originally authored by Phil Bernstein, Vice President of Autodesk and cross-posted from the Digital Energy Solutions Campaign Blog. For ITIF's take on bringing innovation to the contruction industry, check out Steve Norton's coverage of the Bits and Bricks event here. The construction industry is widely understood to have missed the productivity surge created by the digital revolution. Why is that, and what is the government's role in stimulating innovation and change in today's building industry...

We live in a wireless world of tablets, 4G networks, and cloud computing. But on construction sites, where the future is actually being built, making sure there’s place to plug in a microwave to heat up an abandoned cup of coffee is too often about as high tech as it gets. Despite innovations in recent years such as virtual design models, building innovation modeling and laser scanning, the construction industry may have the distinction of having lower productivity than it did 40 years ago. At...

On November 17, 2011, energy policy was the hot topic in Washington. On Capitol Hill, a House panel grilled DOE Secretary Steven Chu over the bankruptcy of government-supported solar firm Solyndra. Congress needs to perform its oversight role but what was striking about the hearing was how little actual energy policy was discussed – it was more political theatre. In contrast, on the same day, over 300 leading climate and energy advocates, policymakers, Congressional aides, academics, and journalists...

Looking back over the 2011 budget deficit debate one thing's for certain: the political landscape and policy discussion hasn’t changed much at all and as a result our future fiscal and economic growth potential are threatened. In addition, our ability to address grand challenges like climate change and energy security become significantly less probable than they already are. That’s one of the key messages from a new report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and the Breakthrough...

By Lauren Simenauer, in a Science Progress cross-post. The Internet is ablaze with allegations of government overreaching as the Tea Party rails against federalism and pundits lambast the administration’s role in the manufactured Solyndra scandal.  YouTube videos abound depicting a popular protest chant on Wall Street: “Banks got bailed out; we got sold out.” But the 99 percent wouldn’t even have the Internet as a medium of expression if the government hadn’t made a high-risk investment...

One of the hottest issues in mobile broadband policy today is the nature of the national public safety network that’s been under discussion since the 9/11 Commission examined the shortcomings in the systems currently used by first responders.  The Commission’s report highlighted the incompatibility of emergency response networks used by the Fire Department of New York, the Port Authority, and the New York Police Departments, recommending improved information sharing. Subsequently, Congress and...

Here is an interesting idea from my friend Rob Atkinson at ITIF: a one-size-fits-all tax code is not one-size-fit-all.  In a new report, (U.S. Corporate Tax Reform: Groupthink or Rational Debate?), he points out that the push for tax simplification will actually harm economic competitiveness. The current thinking in Washington is that the tax code impedes economic competitiveness because of high tax rates.  In order to lower rates, the tax code should be "simplified", i.e. eliminate many tax...

Last month, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) submitted a Report to the President on Ensuring American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing. In general, the report does a good job of explaining the true current state of U.S. manufacturing; articulating the implications of declining U.S. leadership in manufacturing on the country’s ability to produce high-paying jobs, to close our trade deficit, and to ensure U.S. national security; and identifying policy recommendations...

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less." (Rev. Charles Dodgson, Through the Looking Glass, Chapter 6)  Recent news brings one of those items that causes palms to smack foreheads: "ConAgra Foods is facing two class action lawsuits that claim the marketing of its Wesson cooking oils as “100% natural” and "pure" is misleading because the oil is extracted from plants that have been genetically modified...