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US Election 2008
- Editorials
- News
- News Features
- Column
- Commentary
- Books & Arts
- Podcast
- News Blog
- Nature Medicine
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Science was not a driving theme in the 2008 US presidential race, but science in America will change radically as a result. In this special, Nature looks at what might happen to research when a new administration takes office in January 2009.

Editorial
- - Science is not a spectator sport
  - As Barack Obama sets a fresh agenda for the US approach to climate change and energy, scientists must make sure that they do not merely watch from the sidelines.
  - 14 January 2009
- - The biggest threat?
  - The Obama administration must help prevent terrorists from building a nuclear device.
  - 14 January 2009
- - America's choice
  - The values of scientific enquiry, rather than any particular policy positions on science, suggest a preference for one US presidential candidate over the other.
  - 29 October 2008
- - America's fresh start
  - The next US president will lead the country back onto the world stage in many arenas, including science.
  - 24 September 2008
News
- - Cash boost for US science
  - Researchers in line for $13-billion windfall.
  - 21 January 2009
- - Science tipped to score in Obama cash stimulus
  - Researchers jockey for a piece of the US economic package.
  - 14 January 2009
- - On the record
  - Barack Obama's nominees for top federal positions are not speaking to the press until their appointments are confirmed, but they have spoken out before.
  - 14 January 2009
- - Steven Chu prepares for power
  - Energy agency may be in for a shake-up.
  - 12 January 2009
- - Obama's picks underline climate focus
  - Strong roles for biologists as the president-elect chooses his science and technology team.
  - 22 December 2008
- - Nobel physicist to run energy agency
  - Obama appointments likely to focus on renewable energy and implementing cap and trade.
  - 12 December 2008
- - Climate first for Obama transition team
  - Appointments to key energy positions should reveal the new president's priorities.
  - 11 November 2008
- - What Obama's win means for science
  - The United States has a new president, and a lot more besides. Here, Nature takes a look at some of the races – from Congressional competitions to state-wide ballot initiatives – that will affect the nation's research.
  - 5 November 2008
- - Stem-cell law goes to the polls
  - The 4 November election will settle more than who sits in the White House.
  - 29 October 2008
- - Obama outlines science spending boost
  - Nobel laureates endorse Democratic candidate and his plans for science.
  - 25 September 2008
News Features
- - Ghosts in the machine
  - Electronic voting machines were supposed to vanquish unreliable counts. They did not — but David Lindley finds that other technologies present their own problems.
  - 29 October 2008
- - The home stretch
  - The leading US presidential candidates are not trying to woo voters with science issues. But the senator who wins will help shape the world's most influential research agenda.
  - 24 September 2008
- - Questioning the candidates
  - Barack Obama accepted Nature's invitation to answer 18 science-related questions in writing; John McCain's campaign declined. Obama's answers to many of the questions are printed here; for answers to additional questions (on topics including biosecurity, the nuclear weapons laboratories and US participation in international projects) see part two.
  - 24 September 2008
- - Questioning the candidates, part two
  - Here are Obama's answers to the additional questions that did not appear in our print magazine. Wherever possible, Nature has noted what McCain has said at other times on these topics.
  - 24 September 2008
- - Agencies of change
  - A new president could bring radical shifts to America's major research entities. Nature profiles some of the agencies in need of a makeover.
  - 24 September 2008
Column
- - The new boss in town
  - Barack Obama's transition team is hitting the ground running, and its speed and openness are winning praise, as David Goldston reports.
  - 31 December 2008
- - Not the best advice
  - Concerns about the next president's science adviser miss the real issues, says David Goldston.
  - 24 September 2008
Commentary
- - Your inbox, Mr President
  - Rejuvenate the Environmental Protection Agency. End the stem-cell ban. Re-engage with the UN on climate change. Six leading voices tell Nature what the new US president needs to do to move beyond the Bush legacy.
  - 14 January 2009
Books & Arts
- - Which science book should the next US president read?
  - Steven Shapin, Jerry Coyne, Rita Colwell, Martin Nowak, Jerry Ravetz and Kevin Padian weigh in with advice.
  - 24 September 2008
Podcast
- - Energy Audio (mp3 file) | Text (html)
  - The race for the White House is well and truly underway. But where do the candidates stand on science? The first of our special US election podcasts asks the experts what energy and climate policy might look like under a new administration.
  - 4 September 2008
- - Biomedicine Audio (mp3 file) | Text (html)
  - The second of our special podcasts looks at what the candidates are saying about biomedicine and health.
  - 11 September 2008
- - Innovation Audio (mp3 file) | Text (html)
  - The third of our special podcasts focuses on innovation and competitiveness.
  - 18 September 2008
- - Voices of the candidates Audio (mp3 file)
  - In this final US election show, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama speak for themselves on the big science issues including space, stem cells and green energy.
  - 25 September 2008
News Blog
- - The Great Beyond
  - Policy news from Nature's blog on how science is being covered around the world.
  - 24 September 2008
Nature Medicine
- - 2008 US election special
  - As the US presidential race nears the finish line, Barack Obama and John McCain increasingly talk about the 'change' they would bring — but what does that mean for biomedical research?