Abstract
"STEM" is a term that has intuitive appeal but lacks an agreed-upon definition. As such, it has become a term whose ubiquity and ambiguity allow it to be used for a range of policy and political purposes. The longstanding focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as a focal point of education and workforce policy makes it important to understand what is considered a STEM field, for what purposes the STEM designation is used, and how it has become a highly politicized term that lacks practical meaning. The use of STEM in policy historically and currently is used to support a range of policy objectives beyond improving science and engineering education or workforce development.