Opinion: The grave consequences of politicizing science

SUN JOURNAL • September 12, 2026

The scientific community is right to be alarmed by the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed revisions to federal grantmaking rules. The deeper concern is the political capture of institutions that produce knowledge. Throughout history, political movements have sought to shape the institutions that determine how society understands truth, expertise and reality itself. This strategy is effective because it taps into psychological processes that have shaped human survival for thousands of years. Growing uncertainty surrounding federal funding threatens not only scientific discovery, but also the economic vitality, workforce development and medical advances upon which communities across Maine increasingly depend. Protecting scientific independence is about safeguarding one of democracy’s most essential foundations: our collective ability to distinguish evidence from ideology, truth from propaganda and scientific process from political loyalty. ~ Laura Ligouri, Mindbridge