A weakness in diffusion: US technology and science policy after World War II

Abstract

The post-war shift in US technology and science policies has been somewhat misunderstood. It was not only a shift toward support for research, but a shift away from support for diffusion. Pre-war policies centered on agriculture. They sought to foster the spread of improved farming practices in order to raise living standards at a time of widespread rural poverty. Post-war research policies, motivated by national security, relied on military procurement to drive diffusion. Radically different objectives have obscured the overall nature of the policy shift. Today, the consequences of the US neglect of diffusion are most evident in health care, with government spending huge sums on research while disregarding service delivery.