This dissertation research focuses on explaining the emergence of the post-World War II research-policymaking apparatus in the United States. The research will determine how science policy's present development has been shaped by the decisions made during the period prior to the war until the establishment of the National Science Foundation in 1950. In addition, this project will describe and analyze current proposals for reorganizing research policymaking in the United States. The project will involve archival research as well as analysis of scholarly and popular materials. Historical research and an institutional analysis of the current political climate will provide the basis for assessing the prospects for implementation of any of the current proposals.