enthusing people about math and science is not a federal case IMO
No but it's a nice side effect of a good and IMO vital national security strategy, and national security is a necessary and constitutionally required federal case (except for 0).
China has enough money to go to the moon and build a base there--talk about taking the high ground!!!
If you think China will never stick it to us, that won't matter to you--until they do it.