Student Finding: State Legislators Want to Interact with Scientists

Hollie Smith and colleagues made surprising findings when they examined where Maine state legislators get routine science information and how they use it. Her team discovered that media coverage seems to drive science-related bills presented at the State Legislature. Researchers also found and that exposure to these science topics led legislators to want more personal interaction with scientists themselves.

The recent doctoral graduate of the Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI) at UMaine’s Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions (Mitchell Center) and member of the center’s Knowledge to Action Collaborative examined the intersections of science, media, and policy, looking closely at how state policymakers viewed and used news about science research.

The findings were illuminating.

“I applied my work to the area of alternative energy development and regulation, working to understand the role of both media and politics,” said Smith. “I surveyed and interviewed Maine state legislators about how they view and use science in their decision-making. We found that most turned to the media as a source for information, but wanted more interpersonal interaction with actual scientists. ” See more on Smith here