Equitable Science

Another of president Biden’s orders that caught my eye is: Memorandum on Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking. The premise would seem to be that lack of trust rests on prior use of science in ways that lacked integrity. The memo doesn’t explain the lack or why such lack has led to distrust, but rather sets up a task force to look for it. The memo notes the Scientific Integrity memos from 2009 and 2010, and the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018. The texts of these give sound directives for good science and the proper, transparent use of data. So what does this current memo add? EQUITY. “…plans shall include a broad set of methodological approaches for the evidence-based and iterative development and the equitable delivery of policies, programs, and agency operations.” To achieve this equity, agencies are to “…provide such data disaggregated by gender, race, ethnicity, age, income, and other demographic factors that support researchers in understanding the effects of policies and programs on equity and justice.”

The theme of Equity is woven through much of the president’s proclamations. The problem with this seemingly lofty goal is: who decides what is equitable? In this case it’s the agencies of the Administrative State. Any unevenness among gender, race, etc. can be the grounds for mandating a more equitable distribution. And, of course, if it can be backed up by Science, so much the better. The goal is not Trust, but Totalitarianism.