RG XXI: Committee for Social Science Controversies and Public Policy Decision

Historical Note

The Committee for Social Science Controversies and Public Policy Decision was officially active from 1972-1975, however planning meetings were held beginning in 1970. The purpose of the Committee was to study the role of scholars, particularly social scientists, involved in policy-oriented research. Initiated by Daniel Bell, working closely with Charles Frankel, Frankel served as chair for its duration. Charles Frankel wrote two memos outlining the research purpose, July 1970 and March 1971. The second memo, "Ground-Rules for Policy-Oriented Scholarship" of March 1971, was submitted as a proposal for support to the Russell Sage Foundation and approved by the Foundation in December 1971. The Committee ultimately decided to use the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Debate as a test case and organized a conference on January 16-17, 1973. The revised papers presented at the conference were published by the Russell Sage Foundation in 1975 as a book, Controversies and Decisions: The Social Sciences and Public Policy.

Name Variations

Steering Committee for the Rules of Scholarly Self Government, 1970-1971
Committee on Social Science Controversies and Public Policy Decision, 1971-1975

Scope and Content

The series is contained within the Academy Archives' Record Group XXI: Academy Projects and Programs. This series contains the administrative and publication records of the  Academy relating to the project Social Science Controversies and Public Policy Decision, from 1969-1977. The majority of the records were created between 1970-1974 by the executive office of John Voss, particularly of Corrine Schelling, and concern the 1973 Conference and 1975 Publication. Records are comprised of administrative files and publication files. Included among administrative files are Committee correspondence, minutes of planning meetings, grant proposals, and background information collected on the ABM Debate. Included among publication files is one folder of correspondence with the publisher, with the majority of the files being correspondence with the authors, including draft articles.

Significant materials include the 1970 and 1971 memoranda written by Charles Frankel proposing the project, the background materials regarding the ABM Debate, and the draft articles for publication.

See (unprocessed) Scientists in the Public Interest: The Role of Professional Societies.

Arrangement

Processing for the series utilized MPLP principles: folder titles listed in the finding aid are as they appear on the actual folders, and minimum preservation steps were taken. The original order of the records as kept by the office of Executive Officer John Voss was largely maintained; records were arranged chronologically or alphabetically, and interfiled, where appropriate. 

The series is organized into two subseries: Subseries 1: Administration; and Subseries 2: Publication. Subseries 1 files are arranged chronologically. Subseries 2 files are arranged chronologically with individual author files following last, arranged alphabetically.

Volume

2 records center cartons (1.5 linear feet).

Preferred Citation

[Item title, date]. Record Group XXI: Academy Projects – Committee on Social Science Controversies and Public Policy Decision/Ground Rules of Scholarly Self Government, 1969-1977. Archives, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Subjects

Bell, Daniel, 1919-2011
Frankel, Charles, 1917-1979
Schelling, Corinne Saposs
Voss, John, 1917-
Russell Sage Foundation
Antimissile missiles
Government policy--Social aspects
Social sciences--research