1039 



Problems in the U.S. 



Government Organization 



and Policy Process for 



International Cooperation in 



Science and Technology 



Eugene B. Skolnikoff 



The U.S. government supports international cooperation in science 

 and technology through a number of different mechanisms and to 

 serve a variety of national goals. Almost every agency of the federal 

 government is involved to some extent, and cooperation takes place 

 through bilateral, multilateral, and private-sector channels. No pre- 

 cise measure of the funding dedicated to international cooperation is 

 available, but most of the relevant programs are described in an an- 

 nual report to the Congress colloquially known as the Title V report.^ 



It is not an overly impressive document, notwithstanding its bulk; 

 the list of activities appears substantial only until one recollects that 

 this represents the international dimension of a federal research and 

 development (R&D) budget of well over $40 billion. Then, it seems 

 minor indeed, to which most of those who have been engaged in at- 

 tempting to promote international cooperation in science and technol- 

 ogy from inside the government c^n quickly attest. In the abstract, 

 one would assume that the shared interest in R&D progress among 

 friendly and even not so friendly countries, the global nature of many 

 problems, the wide diffusion of technological competence, the impor- 

 tance of building science and technology in developing countries, the 

 budgetary pressures all are experiencing, let alone the political inter- 

 ests that can be served, would all lead to substantial pressure for 

 increased cooperation. In practice, of course, other pressures — 

 economic nationalism, domestic institutional interests, concern over 



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