How two great powers shape science policy—and why it matters to innovation.
This book compares the United States and the Soviet Union, showing how each system designs incentives, plans research, and drives technological change.
Grounded in a detailed examination of planning, financing, and organizational structure, the work highlights how decision makers balance time, cost, and risk. It explores why competition inside a centrally planned economy differs from market-driven competition, and what that means for industrial progress and the spread of new technologies.
- How R&D is funded and rewarded in different political economies
- How planning, forecasting, and goal-setting shape national innovation
- What incentives encourage or hinder rapid technological change
- Where Soviet and American approaches converge or diverge in practice
Ideal for readers of science policy, history of technology, and comparative politics who want a clear view of how policy tools influence innovation in large, centralized systems.