America’s Creativity in Scienceand Technology: Past and Future

America’s patent rate (per 100,000 population) rose steeply to 34 from 1820‐1885, hovered between 28‐36 for the next 40 years then started its plunge to the present 18. This article examines the numerous possible causes often found in the literature ‐ expenditures on R&D, poor patent protection, high fees and pendency delays, decline in education in sciences and engineering, etc. While there is some evidence to support each of these, none is as important as the decline in our immigrants from Europe. Projections of possible improvements in our creativity and innovation in sciences and technology are bound in the characteristics of our present and future immigrant streams, and these are not expected to replace the role played by our previous immigrant streams.