INTRODUCTION

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8, grants Congress the power to “promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries” (United States Patent and Trademark Office). Since the first patent was issued on July 31, 1790, for improvements to potash, the federal government and America’s citizens have collaboratively developed and/or symbiotically fostered some of the most important innovations in world history. The “golden age of American innovation” in the late 1800s brought the nation the telephone, commercial ketchup, and the typewriter, just to name a few. Through the “post–World War II era,” the federal government increasingly “spurred innovation” through its own research or by providing targeted funding for specific research and development initiatives (Deloitte Insights). In the modern age, however, this “linear” model has become less common. Instead, innovation in the present day features an “ecosystem” of development, featuring many different types of people filling many different types of roles. As the speed and complexity of innovation continues to increase, can the federal government continue to effectively foster innovation?

Supporters of government engagement in the innovation process often cite the unique Constitutional role that the government has in securing intellectual property rights for innovators, thereby promoting continued development. Additionally, the government’s far-reaching capacity to fund research and provide incentives to certain businesses and industries via federal spending are also cited as key strengths in helping fuel technological change. Those who view government intervention in the innovative process as a harm often reference the drawbacks of bureaucratic ‘red tape,’ namely in how it disrupts researchers’ and business’ progress due to burdensome regulations and the inefficiencies of governmental processes. Some also argue that the scale of government investment in research and development can discourage private investment in new initiatives and that changes in political policies from administration to administration can also complicate the innovation landscape.

So what do you think? This deliberation presents twelve video clips, four articles, and numerous educational activities to guide students through a review of the debate over whether the federal government helps or hurts innovation. After a careful review of multiple perspectives, students will determine their answer to the question and be presented with several optional extensions to take an active role in the debate.

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Objectives and Outcomes

• Students will be able to describe key vocabulary terms and concepts associated with the debate surrounding whether the federal government helps or hurts innovation.
  
  
• Students will be able to identify and explain aspects of the debate surrounding whether the federal government helps or hurts innovation, including those arguments related to research funding and government incentives, intellectual property rights and private investment, and bureaucratic ‘red tape,’ governmental inefficiencies, and changing political policies.
  
  
• Students will be able to evaluate arguments related to the debate surrounding whether the federal government helps or hurts innovation and formulate an opinion on this question.

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