A coalition of 56 higher education and scientific organizations called ScienceDebate — which was created in 2008 as a way to get presidential candidates to clarify their stances on various science and research questions — has come up with a list of 20 questions they're hoping Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Jill Stein, and Gary Johnson will all answer, says ScienceInsider.
ScienceDebate says it will post each candidate's replies, but is also calling on the public and the media to ask these questions of the candidates and force them to address topics from innovation to research, biodiversity, vaccinations, scientific integrity, and more.
"We are encouraging journalists to ask these questions at every opportunity," the effort's organizer Shawn Otto tells ScienceInsider. "We're in a new era where science is impacting people more than ever, and candidates will respond to what is on the minds of the public."
ScienceDebate is also hoping to have the candidates participate in a live debate devoted to science-related issues, "however, that idea never gained traction in 2008 and 2012, and Otto admits there's no reason to expect it to fare any better in 2016," ScienceInsider says. "So the group has put most of its energy into coming up with questions that they hope will elicit written answers from each campaign organization."
A complete list of the questions can be found here.