[Doctor Stochastic]

That's about it. The Republicans wanted to build the system regardless of cost and whether it worked or not. The Democrats didn't want to build the system regardless of cost and whether it worked or not.

Neither group was interested in using scientific results (and uncertainty estimates) as an input to political policy.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for your reply!

Neither group was interested in using scientific results (and uncertainty estimates) as an input to political policy.

Indeed. Of course not. Reagan's star wars was mostly a bluff to make the Russians go into a tail spin, which they did. Bush is also a good poker player.

Politics wrt foreign relations and national defense has more to do with the illusion of science than the facts of it - hence all the espionage. Directed energy weapons are another example...