Politics of technology: Proposal: A National Engineering Foundation: Would it not help to halt the slide in U.S. productivity and its loss in share of world markets?

Let's face it: The United States economy is sputtering. The U.S. position in world trade has deteriorated. Its ability to compete in the export market or against imports has decreased. Industrial investment in targeted basic research and applied research leading to improvements in productivity or major new markets is discouraged by regulatory and tax policies.