156 



avoid any potential escalation of interiiational tensions, foreio-n area 

 research reports would continue to be reviewed before publication. 



The social sciences and the Federal Government 



Although the effort to realign the balance of sponsorship of foreign 

 area social science research had only qualified success, important re- 

 sults were achieved in dealing with the problems of fashioning a co- 

 herent relationship of social science to the Federal Government. Here 

 the influence of Congress was reflected in: (1) Congressional action 

 to give the social sciences full recognition in the National Science 

 Foundation, and (2) congressional influence in motivating the admin- 

 istration and social scientists to undertake an assessment of the prob- 

 lems that had to be solved before a better relationship could be 

 established. 



The proposal to create a National Foundation for the Social Sciences^ 

 and amendinent of the National Science Foundation 

 Hearings on the Senate version of the bill to amend the National 

 Science Foundation were held in 1967 by Senator Edward Kennedy, in 

 the specially created Subcommittee on Science of the Senate Com- 

 mittee on Labor and Public Welfare. After additional legislative 

 action, the bill became Public Law on July 18, 1968.^°^ There was con- 

 siderable support for passage of the bill. The proposal had been in the 

 legislative hopper for 2 years ; the committee had heard extensive sup- 

 porting testimony from over 40 witnesses : and subsequently presented 

 thorough analyses in justification for organizational changes. In pass- 

 ing the bill, the Congress apparently agreed with the subcommittee 

 report, that the administration would not by itself take steps to mod- 

 ernize the NSF and that it would require legislative initiative.^"® The 

 two bills (amendment of the NSF and creation of a NFSS) may have 

 been considered in part as alternatives. In supporting the NSF amend- 

 ments in the Senate hearings, Senator Harris urged that — 



* * * The enactment of section 3(a) [for including tlie social sciences within 

 the authority of NSF] does not by any means obviate the tremendous need for 

 speedy enactment of S. 836 * • *."" 



It is also evident that Rep. Daddario and Dr. Haworth, Director 

 of the NSF, judged that the NSF amendments bill would solve many 

 of the problems identified by Senator Harris. For instance, on 

 January 17, 1967, in response to questions of the Eeuss subcommittee 

 investigation of domestic social science research, Dr. Haworth said 

 that NSF had not taken a stand on the Harris bill. He added that he 

 personally saw great value in bringing the social sciences into the 

 closest possible contact with the natural sciences through interdisci- 

 plinary research projects and collaboration between specialists." 



Ill 



^"8 U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. National Science 

 Foundation Act Amendments of 1968. Hearings before the Special Subcommittee on Science 

 of the * * * on S. 2598 and H.R. 5404, to amend the National Science Foundation Act 

 of 1950 to Make Changes and Improvements in the Organization and Operation of the 

 Foundation, and for Other Purposes. Nov. 15 and 16, 1967. 90th Cong,, 1st sess. (Wash- 

 ington, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967), 196 pages. 



109 "The National Science Foundation: Its Present and Future, op. cit., pp. xi-xii. 



^o National Science Foundation Act Amendments of 1968, hearings, op. cit., p. 1.35. 



"1 The Use of Social Science Research in Federal Domestic Programs, pt. 4, op. cit., 

 p. 117. 



