The central message of this volume is that scientists have choices about if, how, and when they decide to become actively engaged in policy and politics. And how such choices are made has consequences – for individuals, the scientific enterprise as a whole, and the broader society of which they are a part. Recent times have seen increasing demands for scientists to be active in politics and policy. Each of the four idealized roles of scientists in policy and politics described in this book has its place in responding to such demands. However, it seems that one role in particular – the Issue Advocate – overwhelmingly threatens the others, particularly that of the Honest Broker of Policy Alternatives. Issue Advocacy often takes a stealth form in which scientists characterize their role as Pure Scientist or Science Arbiter, but are really using their scientific authority as a tool of advocacy.

Issue Advocates have a noble role in any democracy. Like any other citizen, scientists can of course always decide to sign up with their local political party or favorite advocacy group and lend their stature and expertise to their cause. Taking such political action lends the legitimacy and authority of science to a political cause, but it also has consequences for both science and policy. In particular, to the degree that science is simply mapped onto existing political perspectives we will see science overshadowed by politics, and a continued reinforcement of the twin trends of the scientization of political debate and the pathological politicization of science.