Trump is destroying 100 years of competitive advantage in 100 days

As the Trump administration floods the zone with one radical shift after another, its tariffs have gotten the most attention. But the policy that could end up costing the United States even more in the long run is the White House’s assault on universities and on research more broadly.

The U.S. has led the world in science for so long that it’s easy to believe this has always been one of the country’s natural strengths. In fact, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the U.S. was more a follower than a leader. British industrialists often complained about American businesses stealing their technology and violating their patents. In the first decades of the 20th century, the country that walked away with the most Nobel Prizes in science was Germany — with one-third of all the awards. Next was Britain with almost 20 percent. The United States took just 6 percent of the Nobels in science.

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