![[OTA LOGO] Technology Assessment and the Work of Congress](resource/otacong.GIF)
he Office of Technology Assessment occupied a unique role
among the Congressional information agencies. Unlike the General Accounting
Office, which is primarily concerned with evaluation of ongoing programs, and the
Congressional Research Service, which provides rapid information on legislative
topics, the OTA provided a deeper, more comprehensive, and more technical level
of analysis. Through eleven Congressional sessions, OTA became a key resource for
Congressional members and staff confronting technological issues in crafting
public policy. Its existence brought a healthy balance to the analytical
resources available to the executive and legislative branches of government.
The agency's legacy is found in the many items of legislation it influenced and in
the channels of communication its staff helped foster between legislative
policymakers and members of the scientific, technical, and business communities.
The Office's legacy is also found in its hundreds of publications, gathered for
the first time in electronic form at this world wide web site and on the companion set of CD-ROMs, The OTA Legacy,
1972-1995.
This site contains all the formally issued reports of the Office of
Technology Assessment, as well as many background papers and contractor
papers--over 100,000 pages of the best available analyses of the scientific and
technical policy issues of the past two decades. In addition, the links below lead to
information about how OTA prepared the reports, and to supplemental historical materials that illuminate the history and impact of the
agency, which has been widely imitated internationally by governments interested
in wise and informed stewardship of the public trust on issues with technical
complexity. The OTA reports collected here are widely acknowledged to be
nonpartisan, objective, and thorough. In many cases, they have also proven to be
of enduring interest and relevance. By publishing its written legacy in
electronic form, the Office of Technology Assessment hopes to preserve the
investment made in its work for future users.
History and Function of the Office of Technology Assessment
The End of OTA
Press Coverage
