Taylor's book, published in 2016 by Oxford University Press, flips the prevailing wisdom that institutions shape the development and innovation of science and technology, instead focusing on the role of politics. Taylor demonstrates that external threats and internal policies interact to determine a country's output of innovation and examines why certain countries have excelled in the field.

The Politics of Innovation was a finalist for the American Society of Public Administration’s 2017 Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for the best book on government, politics, or international affairs and won the 2017 Don K. Price Award from the American Political Science Association.