As the United States Space Force has been debated and ultimately stood up, it has often been linked with various science fiction undertakings, most prominently, Star Trek. For the most part, the science fiction connections are not new in the history of space and can be beneficial. Yet being compared to science fiction also presents challenges for the Space Force. This article begins by analyzing both qualitative and quantitative evidence of a science fiction-Space Force link, and finds that this link has been prevalent over the past several years. The space domain is susceptible to science fiction-based influences because of the unknowns that remain with space-based operations. This is even more true with respect to the public’s view of the Space Force. Thus, the leaders of the Space Force are forced to address the cognitive dissonance between what the public expects and what the Space Force can actually achieve in the near- to mid-term. Space Force leaders should therefore focus on “de-science fictionalizing” to draw a distinction between imagined futures and strategic challenges of today.

Science fiction, due to its ability to encourage creative thinking in environments estranged from our own, can be employed in strategy development and inspiration. Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem trilogy focuses on galactic relations and defense in a rich and nuanced way and provides insight into Chinese thought. An analysis of four strategies—sophons, wallfacers, swordholders, and the cosmic safety notice—highlights the ways in which Chinese strategic thinking systematically differs from Western modes of thinking.

With the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ramping up efforts to return the United States to the moon, they have made concerted efforts to appeal to women, including naming the effort after the twin sister of Apollo, Artemis. Survey data from the General Social Survey indicate a persistent gap between men and women in terms of support for greater spending on space exploration. This research undertakes an exploration of the dynamics of this gender gap and the underlying attitudinal influences. I find evidence that the attitudinal foundations of support for space spending differ between men and women. For women in particular, knowledge, as measured by a science knowledge index and the number of college science classes they have taken, predicts a significant increase in spending support whereas for men, implicit attitudes regarding science in general play a larger role. This suggests that different methods may be necessary to generate greater levels of support for space among women than among men.

The decision to locate many of NASA’s major facilities are rooted in the political dynamics of the 1960s seeking to placate powerful Southern members of the U.S. Congress. When looked at nationally, public support for NASA and space exploration tends to be muted; might that opinion vary if respondents are more closely located to NASA’s centers, particularly in the South? Using long-term data from the General Social Survey, regional differences in public support for greater space exploration funding were examined. Despite NASA’s heavy presence in the South, not to mention its economic impact, individuals in the South are considerably less likely to support more space spending. Comparatively, respondents in the Mountain and Pacific regions are comparatively more likely to support space funding. Thus, to the extent that region matters in influencing spending attitudes, being in the South is a negative factor. These findings add to the body of knowledge regarding the political dynamics of space policy that play a role as NASA looks to return to the Moon in the near term.

Utilizing Senator Robert S. Kerr's archives, this research examines the role that Oklahoma's leading senator in the late 1950s and early 1960s played at the beginning of the Space Race. As chair of the Senate Aeronautical and Space Sciences Committee, Kerr was in place to bring substantial pork barrel benefits to his home state as NASA began to grow. However, his death in early 1962 cut short those ambitions. While Oklahoma did not benefit from space funding as other states in the region did, Kerr's death is not the only explanation. Although this certainly played a role, the dawn of a period of congressional reforms also contributed to Oklahoma's inability to attract significant space investment. This research thus highlights a moment in the development of the US Senate where committee chairs began to lose some of their luster to the coming tides of change.

This article addresses a timely and widespread issue, that of public opinion and the rise of "big data." Analysts of US space policy have consistently noted the role that public opinion plays in setting the directions for US space exploration. However, the tools that have been used to measure public opinion suffer from serious shortcomings in terms of timing and lack of available data. This paper introduces two new measures of public opinion, Google Trends and Twitter, and details how they can be used to assist in measuring interest in space policy in the American public.

With the concept of the flipped classroom taking the teaching world by storm, research into its effectiveness, particularly in higher education, has been lacking. This research aims to rectify this by detailing the results of an experiment comparing student success in American Federal Government in a flipped classroom, a traditional, lecture-based classroom, and an online class. The findings suggest that the flipped methodology improves student perceptions about and attitudes regarding the class, both of which can be important in stimulating student learning. While all groups demonstrated a significant increase in performance over the semester, student grades were higher in both the traditional and flipped classrooms as compared to the online section.

(Co-authored with Richard S. Conley) This study examines presidential-congressional relations on appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The objective is to examine differences between presidential requests and congressional appropriations for NASA spanning fiscal years 1959-2009. The analysis accentuates NASA's exceptional situation in the budgeting process as an agency without a core social or geographic constituency, the impact of congressional budget reforms, and presidents' relative inattention to space policy since the agency's inception in 1958. The theoretical basis for the quantitative analysis also draws from perspectives that include domestic economic factors, international contexts, and the congressional electoral cycle. The empirical analysis accentuates the basis for congressional dominance over the agency's funding.

Using data from the General Social Survey, this research identifies the issue public of US space policy. Highlighting the need to understand and identify the portion of the public that supports space activities, this study underscores the limited appeal of space for the public as a whole. We find that those who support space activities tend to be younger, male, Republican, and have a higher level of education and socioeconomic status. Because these characteristics make up a relatively small proportion of the American population, those supporting space activities must broaden the appeal of space, making it more accessible and understandable for those with whom the issue does not have much saliency.

This book explores the privatization of space and its global impact on the future of commerce, peace and conflict. As space becomes more congested, contested, and competitive in the government and the private arenas, the talk around space research moves past NASA’s monopoly on academic and cultural imaginations to discuss how Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is making space "cool" again. This volume addresses the new rhetoric of space race and weaponization, with a focus on how the costs of potential conflict in space would discourage open conflict and enable global cooperation. It highlights the increasing dependence of the global economy on space research, its democratization, plunging costs of access, and growing economic potential of space-based assets. Thoughtful, nuanced, well-documented, this book is a must read for scholars and researchers of science and technology studies, space studies, political studies, sociology, environmental studies, and political economy. It will also be of much interest to policymakers, bureaucrats, think tanks, as well as the interested general reader looking for fresh perspectives on the future of space.

Political Science Today celebrates political science by giving introductory students a holistic view of the subfields that make it so multi-layered and help them sharpen their future career aspirations. Written with non-majors in mind, Whitman Cobb offers a concise introduction that will help any student develop critical thinking skills, discern the differences between politics and political science, and conduct and consume research. This practical text offers an applied, field-based approach that inspires students to engage with the material directly and dig in to each of the discipline’s diverse subfields with carefully crafted learning objectives and case studies. Its innovative organization reflects the reality of the discipline, beginning with foundational tools like theories and research methods, then builds up to subfield chapters covering overviews of Comparative Politics, International Relations, American Government, Political Economy, and Public Policy/Administration. These chapters can be rearranged to fit any instructor’s syllabus, and allow them the flexibility to focus on their particular field(s) of interest. Political science has changed; the way students learn has changed; so too should the way it’s taught. This is political science, today.

Is whether we contract cancer—and whether we survive the disease, if we get it—largely just a result of good versus bad luck, or are these outcomes regarding cancer tied to the policies and actions of our federal government? Cancer-treating drug development and approval is overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, billions of dollars of federal money are devoted towards cancer research, and exposure of citizens to potentially cancer-causing environments or chemicals is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, all of these factors can be affected by the political motivations of our most powerful politicians. The Politics of Cancer: Malignant Indifference analyzes the policy environment of cancer in America: the actors, the political institutions, the money, and the disease itself, identifying how haphazard U.S. government policy toward cancer research has been and how the president, Congress, government bureaucracies, and even the cancer industry have failed to meet timelines and make the expected discoveries. Whitman Cobb examines funding for the National Cancer Institute and the roles of the executive, Congress, policy entrepreneurs, and the bureaucracy as well as that of the state of cancer science. She argues that despite the so-called "war on cancer," no strategic, comprehensive government policy has been imposed—leading to an indecisive cancer policy that has significantly impeded cancer research. Written from a political science perspective, the book enables readers to gain insight into the realities of science policy and the ways in which the federal government is both the source of funding for much of cancer research and often deficient in setting comprehensive and consistent anti-cancer policy. Readers will also come to understand how Congress, the president, the bureaucracy, and the cancer industry all share responsibility for the current state of cancer policy confusion and consider whether pharmaceutical companies, for-profit cancer treatment hospitals, and interest groups like the American Cancer Society have a personal incentive to keep the fight alive.

Designed to help students consider their career options and opportunities, The CQ Press Career Guide for Political Science Students offers a practical collection of employment resources, career-path options, and real-life tips for how to get ahead. Providing the road map that students need to design their undergraduate experience to maximize their transferable skills, author Wendy Whitman Cobb outlines jobs political science majors can pursue; offers guidance on how to actually get the job; and illuminates pathways to graduate school.

This book seems to understand the institutional dynamics at play in policymaking processes by asking the question, which institutions are most powerful and influential at what points in the policy process? Utilizing the cases of human spaceflight and clean air policy, the book develops a model of policymaking based on three stages: an initial stage where policies are brand new agenda issues, a routine phase, and a crisis phase. In the first phase, the Senate and the president are most influential in setting the tone and direction of future policy. Because policies tend to be path dependent, these initial decisions are important as the policy moves into phase two. In the routine phase, significant policy changes are avoided by relevant bureaucracies and the House of Representatives become important in overseeing and directing policy. Finally, during periods of crisis, windows of opportunity are opened for larger policy change and the president and the Senate once again reassert themselves in the debate.

Review of Bleddyn Bowen's War in Space and Daniel Deudney's Dark Skies.

This piece reviews Joan Johnson-Freese's Space Warfare in the 21st Century: Arming the Heavens in which she cautions against over militarization of space.

Describes the rise of space tourism and the companies looking to carry it out in the near future.

Discussion of the role of presidents in space policy

Discussion of the significance of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission

On the 20th anniversary of continuous human occupation of the International Space Station, this article examples its accomplishments and their significance and looks ahead as to developments in commercialization on the station and future exploration.

Discusses the implications of SpaceX's first launch of astronauts to the International Space Station

Discusses the role of international cooperation and economic development in the the United Arab Emirates Hope mission to Mars

Analysis of SpaceX’s innovations in reducing the costs of space flight and increasing accessibility to more users.

Discussion of China’s successful lunar lander Chang’e-4, it’s significance, and implications for competition in space.

A discussion of the gender gap in support for space exploration and the prospects for change brought about by NASA's Project Artemis

Highlights the persistent gender gap in support for spending on space exploration and discusses the role that Project Artemis might play in rectifying it in the long term.

Examines the increasing tensions between China and India in space and its implications for regional security.

Highlights the impact of George H.W. Bush in sustaining NASA, space exploration, and the International Space Station during his administration.

Analysis of the possible impact of a Space Force would be on NASA and lessons of NASA’s formation for a possible Space Force.