The de jure functions of the Supreme Soviet rela- 

 ting to R&D planning and management include discus- 

 sion and approval of national plans and of legisla- 

 tion regarding the organization of state administra- 

 tion of science and technology. Overall, the in- 

 volvement — if not influence — of the Supreme Soviet 

 in policy making may have increased somewhat in 1966 

 with the creation of permanent standing commissions 

 for such matters as education, science, and culture; 

 planning and budget; industry; agriculture; and 

 transportation and communications. These commissions 

 have the formal authority to do the following: 



1. Supervise activities of organs of state ad- 

 ministration in appropriate fields 



2 . Make preliminary studies of appropriate sec- 

 tions of the national economic plan 



3. Present findings on matters submitted for 

 their consideration 



4. Initiate legislation and present it to the 

 full Soviet? 



The Council of Ministers of the USSR 



The Council of Ministers is the most powerful or- 

 gan of state administration and the final authority 

 on the organization of Soviet ministries. Composed 

 of nearly 100 members, the Council includes the heads 

 of the most important government agencies, and ex of- 

 ficio , the 15 chairmen of the councils of ministers 

 of the constituent union republics. With the excep- 

 tion of the latter group, each member of the Council 

 is responsible for administering specific sectors of 

 the nation's economic, political, military, or so- 

 cial-cultural life. His administrative domain may 

 include, for example, a branch of industry; a nation- 

 al level or interrepublic service, such as the run- 

 ning of the railroads; a functional area, such as 

 planning or finance; or such agencies as the Minis- 

 tries of Foreign Trade, Education, and Justice. 



28 



