C11 - PLENARY: The Historical Impact of Politics on Scientific Research With Nonhuman Animals

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For decades, politics has permeated both science and medicine, and was recently thrust into the forefront during the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic and with the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade. It's often presumed that a Republican led government leads to fiscal restraint for social programs (including healthcare and education) and budgetary expansion for the US Military. Whereas a Democratic led government is associated with increased funding for social programs and a downsized military. Conservatives were previously not swayed by anti-animal research arguments while more liberal lawmakers were. And, until recently, the funding of research was often viewed as a bipartisan issue. But, are those presumptions really the current reality or mere myths? Have standard positions shifted and become less predictable? This session will explore how funding for medicine and basic research, including studies designed to use nonhuman animals, has fluctuated over the last half-century and explore the influential role of politics on research.