May, 1978

THE RECORD

No. 52

LYNDON B. JOHNSON SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS,

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

EDITOR: Marilyn Duncan

1977-78 POLICY RESEARCH PROJECTS: A REVIEW

During the 1977-78 academic year, ten PRPs were conducted by LBJ School students and faculty on a wide range of topics. The following summaries were compiled to offer some idea of the nature and scope of the projects, some of which will be continued into the next school year and some of which will culminate in a final published report later this year.

Administration of Macroeconomic Policy in the Johnson Presidency

The PRP on Administration of Macro-economic Policy in the Johnson Presidency is part of the larger effort being directed by Professor Emmette Redford dealing with an administrative history of the Johnson Presidency.

The PRP is being directed by Professors James Anderson of the University of Houston and Jared Hazleton of the LBJ School. Ten first- and second-year LBJ School students are participating in the project.

During the first semester, the focus was on researching the institutional foundation of macroeconomic policy. Students, working in small teams, developed background papers on the Council of Economic Advisers, the Office of Management and Budget (formerly the Bureau of the Budget), the Treasury Department, and the Federal Reserve System.

During the second semester, students selected specific topics for research, and each proceeded to utilize secondary materials and the files of the LBJ Library to produce a preliminary draft of a paper. They are now in the process of completing interviews with individuals in the Johnson Administration who were involved in macroeconomic policy administration.

The papers being developed include a wide range of topics. For example, a case study of the tax surcharge of 1968 is being written focusing on the Johnson Administration's management of the lobbying efforts required to obtain passage of the bill. Other papers deal with Johnson's relations with the business community; the administration of policies relating to the balance of payments and balance of trade; the relationship between the Federal Reserve System and the Johnson Administration; the administration of wage-price policy in the Johnson years; the administration of expenditures in the Johnson Presidency; the role of the Troika (CEA, OMP, and Treasury); the organization of the White House Staff; and the management of the economic intelligence function.

Professors Anderson and Hazleton will be working throughout the summer to begin writing on a book which will address the issues covered in the individual papers and provide an overall analysis of the administration of macroeconomic policy from 1963-1968.

Implementation of P.L. 93-641 in Region VI in Regard to Organizational Choices and Outcomes

The Health Planning PRP has examined the implementation of the Health Planning Act of 1974 in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Funded by a competitive federal contract with the Region VI Public Health Service in Dallas, Professor David Warner, Dennis Thomas and sixteen students have prepared case studies of nine health systems agencies (HSAs) and the three state level health planning and development agencies.

The class found a wide divergence in attitudes toward regulation of health care providers and institutions and a broad variety of responses to the requirements and stipulations of the Act. The most important work done in the project has been an attempt to carefully delineate the process of implementation of a Congressional action from the legislative and federal regulation writing stage through the federal regional office and state levels to the local agency level where individuals and institutions are affected. In particular the class has attempted to come to grips with the appropriate roles of state and local governments in the health planning system in contrast to the federal role.

In addition to organizing a conference on "Organizing for Health Planning" in March the project is preparing an extensive final report based on the year's work. Both the conference proceedings and the final report will be published by the School and will be available in August.

Analysis of Mexican Economic Development

The purpose of the PRP on the Mexican Growth-Equity Relationship is to examine the equity consequences of Mexico's economic growth, particularly over recent decades. Those aspects of equity examined were income distribution and the access of Mexicans to vital social services, such as health care, education, housing, and nutrition. The research process involved a laborious data-gathering effort, finding time-series whenever possible, on variables that could give insights on the equity aspects of Mexican development. As this is written, the data have been entered on a computer, but the results are not yet available. The most frustrating element of the research, which in part had been anticipated, was the unavailability of consistent data over time, particularly data which could distinguish among regions of the country, and between rural and urban areas.

The research has been conducted under a contract with the Agency for International Development. AID, which has no program in Mexico, was interested primarily in Mexico as a development paradigm—a country in which rapid economic growth appears to have been accompanied by greater relative inequality. The purpose of the research is to provide both AID and Mexican authorities some insights on which future policies can be based. For the LBJ students, the value of the project was envisioned to be that of providing some familiarity with Mexico, with growth models generally, and with computer techniques for assisting in policy analysis. The students also undoubtedly have learned that data and knowledge inadequacies often make policy-making an exercise of choice in an atmosphere of uncertainty.

The Impact of the Safe Drinking Water Act on Texas Communities

The Safe Drinking Water PRP, directed by Professors Gerard Rohlich and David Eaton, and R. Barry Lovelace, is a continuation of a project begun in 1976-1977. The purpose of the study is to analyze the federal legislation and regulations pertaining to the provision of safe drinking water to identify the inter-governmental relations provided for by the legislation, with primary emphasis on the impact of the Act (P.L. 93-532) on local governments with respect to such factors as manpower needs, regional cooperative programs, and the financing of corrective measures for treatment techniques that may be required.

The project included the organization of a conference on Coping With the Safe Drinking Water Act, held April 27-28 in the Thompson Conference Center. Students in the project prepared briefing papers which were distributed to conference participants. In addition, the report from the PRP was published prior to the conference and was included in participants' program materials.

Policy Research: Character, Funding, and Organization

The PRP on Policy Analysis, under the direction of Dr. Jurgen Schmandt, is best described as the pilot phase of a larger project. During the year the group set itself several tasks: (1) conceptualize the role of policy analysis as a discrete step in the preparation of policy or program decisions; (2) develop a proposal for funding of the larger effort; (3) prepare a number of individual case studies on the role of policy analysis in various institutional and topical settings. This year's work is supported from Title IX, Higher Education Act, and from the Ford Foundation grant to the School.

The case studies were designed to provide student members of the project an opportunity to undertake field research and, in the process, to identify a research agenda for future work in the area. Two approaches were used in the studies. Several have an institutional focus, examining the role of policy analysis in a federal agency (Environmental Protection Agency), two state governments (California and Texas), state-oriented non-profit research organizations (Texas Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, Texas Research League, Texas Municipal League), and universities (energy policy analysis at UT Austin, University of Oklahoma, and MIT). The remaining group of case studies have a topical focus. An attempt is made to illustrate the contribution made by policy analysis in developing federal legislation in support of urban mass transit and of solar energy technology.

The final report of the PRP will consist of the individual case studies and a general discussion of structural and operational issues of policy analysis.

Welfare Reform: Linkage Between Cash Payment and Public Employment Policies

The goal of the Welfare Reform PRP has been to assist the Texas Department of Human Resources (DHR) in designing and testing an independence fostering approach to the delivery of social, employment, and job-related training services. Project members have worked with local, state, and federal officials in Fort Worth, DHR and the planning and evaluation units of HEW and the Department of Labor in developing a Family Independence Plan (FIP). The FIP will serve as a demonstration project of comprehensive welfare reform and will be field tested in Fort Worth.

Project members will complete two PRP reports and have already produced a number of position papers that have been used by DHR in developing the FIP proposal. The position papers also provided the basis for DHR testimony before the House Subcommittee on Welfare Reform as well as a demographic profile, evaluation design, and an administrative structure for the FIP proposal. Additionally, project members are completing a series of papers on topics related to welfare reform and the income maintenance system. The topics include regionalism, sexual inequities in policy and programs, illegal aliens and the amnesty proposal, the legislative process and welfare reform, manpower and economic development as income maintenance tools, and an historical analysis of social policy.

Project director is Professor Lodis Rhodes. Charles Tesar of the Department of Human Resources is serving as participating faculty.

Labor Relations for Federal Employees: The Johnson Period and After

In the Labor Relations PRP, nine students and Professors Albert A. Blum and guest Professor I.B. Helburn of the University of Texas Graduate School of Business are exploring the evolution of elective bargaining among federal employees. The study is part of the larger project constructing an administrative history of the Johnson Presidency.

During the course of the year, the group has examined what happened during the period after the Kennedy Executive 10988, which sparked a major growth in collective bargaining and union growth among federal employees. This expansion continued during the Johnson Administration along with a host of administrative policies. It was a new program and difficulties arose concerning its administration as well as over a number of substantive issues. Eventually, President Johnson appointed a task force to look into these issues and to make recommendations, which it did, but the recommendations were not carried out by President Johnson. They had to await the coming of a new President, Richard Nixon, who eventually issued a new executive order, amending the Kennedy order.

The project has looked at all these issues by examining the papers in the Lyndon B. Johnson Library, the National Archives, and the Department of Labor and the Civil Service Commission archives. The students are also interviewing some of the key participants for insights into the beginning stages of this issue, which continues to be an important policy area.

Identification, Protection, and Management of Land Areas Representative of Texas' Natural Heritage

The Texas Natural Heritage PRP has been directed by Professor Keith Arnold, with the assistance of Dr. John Hamilton and Don Kinnard, Director of the Natural Areas Survey. The focus of the project has been federal and state policy toward heritage perservation. The impetus was provided by the announcement of a new federally sponsored program to identify, inventory, and protect elements of our nation's cultural and natural heritage. The federal program under study has never left the Department of the Interior, though some internal reorganization has resulted. Consequently the PRP has shifted its focus to state preservation efforts accomplished without federal support. Case studies of preservation programs in fifteen states have resulted in a report on the organization and funding of state heritage programs. A companion report will present recommendations for implementation of a natural heritage program in Texas.

Another report by the PRP deals with a Natural Regions Classification for Texas. This report resulted from an experts' conference convened by the PRP and is a first step toward the organization of a Texas program.

The PRP has also monitored a local heritage program organized by the council of governments of this region.

Policy Issues Affecting Texas' Role in U.S. National Energy Strategy

The PRP on Texas Energy Issues is being directed by Professors Stephen H. Spurr and Marian Blissett, with the assistance of Professor William L. Fisher, Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology.

The project, developed in response to a suggestion by the Texas Energy Advisory Council (TEAC), focused on three areas of energy policy: Permitting and Siting Energy Facilities; Economics, Financing and Taxation; and Environmental and Community Impacts. The findings of the project were reported to Lieutenant Governor William P. Hobby April 20, 1978.

Some of the findings were: in licensing energy facilities, there are gaps in the decision-making process, insufficient coordination, and lack of clarity on federal-state interface; the value of oil and gas has risen, but production and additions to reserves have dropped due to a shrinking resource base; the state could collect and classify gas purchase contracts in order to build a predictive model of the Texas gas market; and, federal restrictions on the use of prime agricultural lands and air quality requirements for power plant emissions will have a significant impact on the development of the lignite industry in Texas.

The report will be published later this summer.

Public Employment Programs as a Remedy to Unemployment

This Policy Research Project was designed to study the public service employment programs initiated by the federal government as part of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 (CETA). The project's specific objectives were: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of those CETA programs in facilitating the transition of workers from subsidized public service employment to unsubsidized employment in the private and public sectors; (2) to identify those elements of ongoing programs that are supportive of transition; and (3) to determine what, if any, modifications in manpower employment and training legislation and regulations are desirable to facilitate the transition objective. The study involved a review of the relevant literature, interaction with members of the employer and labor union communities, and extended discussions with CETA employment and training administrators. Field work was conducted at eight Texas sites, involving six local prime sponsors and two balance-of-state areas operated by councils of goverments.

The project's primary focus was on transition efforts and problems. Two students were assigned to each study site to conduct field interviews and gather relevant data. Interviews were based on several issue papers developed by members of the seminar which were designed to elicit information on the central question of transition from subsidized to unsubsidized employment. For CETA staffers and administrators the questions raised centered around perceptions of the objectives of public service employment, their program planning activities, client intake procedures, reflections on the public service employment experience, questions involving wage rate determinations, placement activities, linkages between the public service employment program and the private employment community, perceived differences between Titles I, II and VI of CETA, and recommendations for program improvements. Similar questions were raised with employer and union representatives for the purpose of gaining insights from their unique perspectives.

Economic profiles were developed for each of the eight areas emphasizing information about the size and characteristics of the labor force, qualifications of entry-level employees for unsubsidized jobs in the areas, demographic and income distribution data, and unemployment levels.

Information was also developed on the number of individuals served by the local CETA programs and the number and proportion who, after having left the program, entered unsubsidized employment through each of several alternative routes.

For purposes of comparing the results of the project's field research with experiences in other parts of the country, a conference was held April 17-19, 1978, involving some 30 prime sponsors selected from every section of the country. The conference was co-sponsored by the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations of the University of Houston. The conference was oriented toward an in-depth discussion of alternative approaches for facilitating transition of workers from subsidized public service employment to unsubsidized employment in the private and public sectors.

The Policy Research Project has been jointly funded by the United States Department of Labor and the Texas Department of Community Affairs. Professors John Gronouski, Kenneth Tolo, and Robert Glover directed the project.

URBAN POLICY CONFERENCE TO BE HELD MAY 5

A one-day conference on the future of urban policy will be held Friday, May 5th, in the UT Academic Center (4th floor).

The conference is being sponsored jointly by the LBJ School and the Graduate Program in Community and Regional Planning. It is intended as an informal, but intensive examination of recent developments in federal urban policy.

An outline of the conference program is on page 4.

COMMENCEMENT SET FOR MAY 20

Commencement ceremonies for LBJ School graduates are scheduled for Saturday, May 20, at 10:30 a.m. in the B. Iden Payne Theatre (Drama Building).

The speaker for the occasion will be The Honorable James B. Wright, Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives. LBJ student Harley Duncan will introduce the speaker.

The class gift will be presented by Bryan Hamon and Laura Doll.

'ON THE RECORD'

Professor Lodis Rhodes has been invited by Edward T. Weaver, executive director of the American Public Welfare Association, to participate in the National Invitational Conference on Planning and Redesigning Local Social Services Delivery to be held in Cleveland May 10-12. The conference objective is to develop an "ideal type" social services delivery that integrates personal social services—those primarily funded by Title XX and IV-B, the Older Americans Act, and the Community Mental Health Act.

* * * *

The U.S. Department of Labor recently published Placing Minority Women in Professional Jobs (R&D Monograph 55) by Robert Glover, acting director of the Center for the Study of Human Resources and participating faculty member at the LBJ School this year. The monograph is designed as a reference for individuals and groups engaged in efforts to place underutilized minorities and women into jobs they have not traditionally held.

Dr. Glover also has been invited to participate in an International Conference on the implementation of Equal Pay and Equal Opportunity Policy for Women, to be held at Wellesley College, May 1-4, 1978. He will participate in a panel on strategies for implementing equal opportunity. The eighty participants attending the conference are from Europe, Canada, and the United States.

* * * *

One issue of The Record will appear during the summer—probably in mid-July. All students, faculty, and alumni are invited to use the newsletter to keep the rest of the LBJ School community informed about your professional trials and triumphs.

* * * *

Among the guest speakers at the School during April were Nicholas Von Hoffman, liberal news commentator and columnist, who spoke with students on various controversial topics of current interest; and Professor Walt W. Rostow, who discussed the ethical issues of the Viet Nam War, using his well-known book The Diffusion of Power as a reference point.

* * * *

The DC chapter of the alumni association will sponsor a get-together this summer for all of the LBJ interns there. Norm Linsky will get the details out when it's closer to party time.

* * * *

Testimony offered by Professor Lodis Rhodes before the Welfare Reform Subcommittee of the Committee on Agriculture, Committee on Education and Labor, and Committee on Ways and Means has been published as a part of the Joint Hearings on the Administration's Welfare Reform Proposal that were held during November.

FORD GRANT TO SUPPORT SCHOOL ENERGY STUDIES

The University of Texas is one of nineteen institutions in the U.S. chosen to receive Ford Foundation grants aimed at encouraging universities to work with state governments on improving management of the environment.

The UT Austin grant, in the amount of $32,000, was made in response to a proposal of LBJ School Professor Stephen H. Spurr, who will guide a two-year study of policies designed to contribute to national energy needs while simultaneously safeguarding the state's natural environment.

Dr. Spurr, in concert with LBJ School students and fellow faculty members, will work closely with the Texas Energy Advisory Council on issues such as:

—The social and community impacts that will arise as new power plants convert to using lignite, coal and nuclear materials instead of natural gas.

—The problems—both regulatory and economic—associated with the strip mining of lignite.

—The ramifications of air pollution controls on developing alternate energy sources.

Joining in the project will be Dr. Marian Blissett of the LBJ School and Dr. William L. Fisher, director of UT's Bureau of Economic Geology and chairman of UT's Council on Economic Resources.

Also cooperating in the UT project will be Lieutenant Governor William P. Hobby, who heads the Texas Energy Advisory Council. Drs. Spurr and Blissett and nineteen LBJ School students have conducted a policy research project on Texas energy issues for the TEAC during 1977-78 (see page 7).

Dr. Spurr says the Ford Foundation grant will help support seminars, internships and special research projects dealing with energy/environmental matters "that can be fed directly into the Texas Energy Advisory Council as staff reports."

In effect, he says, the UT group will function as an independent policy analysis staff to key state officials in energy and environmental fields.

Dr. Spurr says the faculty-student team will be looking at a variety of ways to make "government regulations work better."

"We will be concerned with seeing what is a reasonable, sensible and practical solution to governmental regulations and controls" as they pertain to the balance between developing energy sources and protecting the environment, he explains.

As an example, he says it "takes longer to get clearances to build an energy plant than to build the plant itself."

"In our study," he notes, "we would be looking at the process of expediting clearances to hasten the availability of alternate energy sources."

(U.T. News and Information Service)

[NOTE]

The LBJ School Spring Picnic will be Saturday, May 13, beginning at 2 p.m. at the home of Mr. Grady Hazlewood on Lake Austin. Directions will be posted on the 2nd-floor bulletin board several days prior to the picnic date.

All students, faculty, and staff are invited to join in the end-of-the-year celebration.

NOTES FROM OACIP

Second year students are asked to have their professors submit a change of grade form if incompletes (other than on PRPs) were carried over from the 1976-77 school year or from the fall semester.

Also, students who plan to receive their degrees in August should leave a summer mailing address with the OACIP, as in absentia registration will be handled by mail. The fee is $15.00.

Returning students are also urged to inform the OACIP of their summer addresses.

If anyone would like to help with orientation during the week of August 28-September 1, contact Jan Hilton, Russ Hedge, or the OACIP.

[NOTE]

The paintings which brighten the Dean's Conference Room are on loan to the School from Ralph White, a nationally eminent artist and UT Professor of Art. Mr. White's paintings have appeared in over one hundred group and one-man exhibitions worldwide. Public and private collections of his works include those of the Minneapolis Institute of Art; the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse; the Feldman Collection of Contemporary Texas Art in Dallas; the Ford Collection of American Art in Dearborn, Michigan; the Witte Memorial Museum in San Antonio; and the Texas Fine Arts Association in Austin, among others.

LIBRARY "WHAT'S" LINE

What's News?

The LBJ School of Public Affairs Library is pleased to announce that it has been named a repository for materials issued by the American Enterprise Institute and that, accordingly, an AEI Center for Public Policy Research is being established within the Library collection. Resultant of its repository status, the Library will receive all Institute studies, analyses, debates, audio cassettes, journals, and other research and reference materials covering major issues of national significance in the areas of economics, energy, foreign affairs, government, defense policy, health, and law and legislation.

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, established in 1943, is a publicly supported, nonpartisan research and educational organization located in Washington, D.C. Its objective, to place scholarly studies on public issues into the mainstream of political debate, is accomplished by commissioning scholars to undertake original research and publishing their findings, and by sponsoring conferences and debates, round tables, and other forums and making the proceedings available for wide public dissemination. The AEI Council of Academic Advisors, Scholars, and Fellows includes such academically illustrious names as Paul W. McCracken, Milton Friedman, James Q. Wilson, Gottfried Haberler, Murray L. Weidenbaum, and Irving Kristol. Subscribers to AEI publications include some ninety percent of the members of the U.S. Congress, as well as numerous congressional staff experts and key officials in the executive branch; also subscribing are college departments and faculties, national organizations, leading corporations, and members of the press.

In 1977, the American Enterprise Institute initiated four new serials: AEI Defense Review; Regulation: the AEI Journal on Government and Society; Public Opinion; and the AEI Economist. The Defense Review, edited by Melvin R. Laird and General Bruce Palmer, Jr., was established to examine issues involved in U.S. defense policy and deals with concepts of strategy, manpower and force structure, and the economics and administration of defense. Reviews are generally debate oriented, presenting opposing views on controversial topics of current interest, such as the all-volunteer force, the Panama Canal, and U.S. presence in Korea.

Regulation, edited by Anne Brusndale, examines the policy implications of government regulation. Besides including major articles by academicians and experts, such as Charles Schultze, Edward Kennedy, and Gerald Ford, each issue contains analytical notes on current regulatory developments (in "Perspectives") and brief summaries of significant new research and writing on regulatory issues (in "Readings"). Topics considered in the 1977/78 issues ranged from the "Licensing of Nuclear Power Plants," to "Regulation of Television Broadcasting," to "Regulated Trucking."

Public Opinion, edited by Seymour M. Lipset and Ben Wattenberg, examines the impact of public opinion on the creation of public policy. In addition to such articles by D.P. Moynihan on human rights and public opinion and R.M. Scammon and B.J. Wattenberg on impending problems for President Carter in 1980, each issue contains a sixteen-page data section, prepared with the assistance of the Roper Center, which summarizes the results of polls on issues of current importance and features the results of regularly asked survey questions.

The AEI Economist, a monthly newsletter edited, and in large part written by Herbert Stein, appraises various economic and budgetary policies of the federal government.

Other series of special interest include Legislative Analyses and Legal Policy Studies, which are brief monographic surveys of current proposals before the Congress and the Courts. Analyses published in 1977 considered such topics as "The Executive Reorganization Act," "Food Stamp Reform," "Electric Rate Utility Reform" and "Consumer Protection Legislation." Legal Policy Studies reviewed the significant decisions of the Supreme Court during the preceding term, the legislative veto, and the constitutional aspects of lobbying.

AEI public policy forums, of which the American Enterprise Institute will supply the Library with published proceedings and audio cassettes, feature recognized authorities exchanging views and opinions on specific policy issues. Recent forums include: (1) U.S. Energy Policy: Which Direction?, which centers on the Carter administration's energy proposals and features former Federal Energy Administrator John O'Leary, former Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird, and Representative Morris Udall; (2) Prospects for Peace in the Middle East, which considers the American national interest in light of the Arab-Israeli conflict and features Senator Jacob Javits, J. William Fulbright, and George Ball; and (3) The Future of the Social Security System, which evaluates various programs for meeting the rising costs of social security, and features Al Ullman, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, James B. Cardwell, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, and Barber B. Conable, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Some 460 AEI publications, covering a variety of public policy issues, have recently been received by the Library and are being processed preparatory to the establishment of the Center for Public Policy Research. In addition to supplying the Library with complimentary materials for the Center, the Institute has advised us that faculty wanting to obtain several copies of a particular study may purchase them at substantial discounts.

Line Items

(1) In addition to being named a Center for AEI publications, the Library has recently mailed over 200 letters to various international economic and commodity organizations, requesting mailing list status for their English language publications. Organizations responding affirmatively are the African Development Bank, the International Wheat Council, the European Investment Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Commission of the European Communities. A future column will deal with these organizations and their publications in greater detail.

(2) The Library has recently received a new microfilm reader-printer and now, having reading and printing facilities available for both fiche and film, hopes to expand its collection of microforms, particularly research and development reports available from the National Technical Information Service.

(3) Interning and former students needing the assistance of the LBJ School Library this summer are encouraged to call (512) 471-4962 (ext. 226).

MOTOR CARRIER, DRINKING WATER PUBLICATIONS RELEASED

The Office of Publications recently issued two volumes resulting from policy research projects.

One report, entitled Motor Carrier Entry Regulation in Texas, was produced as part of a five-pronged project on transportation conducted in 1976-77 under the directorship of Professor Jared Hazleton. LBJ students Jeffrey Dunn and Shirley Walker compiled and wrote the report.

The study focuses on the process of entry regulation in the motor carrier freight industry in this state, addressing the question of whether the restrictions imposed on those attempting to enter the industry are serving their intended goals of quality control and economic stability. Data is presented to support the authors' conclusion that the restrictions are actually working against these goals, creating a situation which inhibits free enterprise and encourages illegal hauling activities.

Recommendations for modification of the existing regulatory system are made to the Transportation Committee of the Texas House of Representatives, the client agency for the project.

The second volume published in April was the report by the Safe Drinking Water PRP (1977-78) entitled Impact of the Safe Drinking Water Act on Texas. Directing the project were Professor David Eaton, Professor Gerard Rohlich, and R. Barry Lovelace.

In this report, the federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, directing the EPA to establish maximum levels for contaminants in water and to supervise local suppliers, is studied to uncover legal implications at the state and local levels. The study, funded by the Texas Department of Health, makes policy recommendations to the TDH and EPA on such issues as federal financing and responsibility, state financing for private systems, monitoring of small systems, public information regulations, and the granting of variances and exemptions.

The Motor Carrier and Drinking Water reports are available through the Office of Publications for $3.00 and $4.00, respectively.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN POLICY

Friday, May 5th, 1978

Academic Center, 4th Floor

The University of Texas at Austin

Conference Program

8: 30 a.m.	ROUNDTABLE: URBAN POLICY–THE VIEW FROM WASHINGTON
Introduction:	Elspeth Rostow, Dean, LBJ School of Public Affairs Harold Box, Dean, School of Architecture The Honorable J.J. Pickle, Congressman, 10th District
Presentation:	Marshall Kaplan (presiding). Community and Regional Planning, School of Architecture Robert C. Embry, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Community Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Discussants:	Lawrence Houstoun, Assistant to Secretary Kreps, U.S. Department of Commerce Suzanne Foster, Assistant to Undersecretary Hale Champion, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Ralph Schlosstein, White House, Domestic Policy Francine Rabinovitz, Professor, University of Southern California Richard P. Nathan, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution Robert C. Wood, Joint Center for Urban Studies Walt W. Rostow, Professor, University of Texas
12: 00 noon	"BROWN BAG" LUNCHEON WORKSHOPS
1: 30 p.m.	ROUNDTABLE: REGIONAL RESPONSE–THE VIEW FROM TEXAS
Introduction:	Victor Bach (presiding), LBJ School of Public Affairs
Panel:	Richard Smith, Councilmember, City of Dallas Henry G. Cisneros, Councilmember, City of San Antonio Richard Brown, Executive Director, Texas Municipal League Edward E. McClure, Associate Dean, School of Architecture
3: 30 p.m.	ADJOURNMENT

ALUMNI FORUM

Dear Alumni:

The LBJ School Alumni Association is completing its third year of activities and will be selecting new officers in the next month. I would like to take this opportunity to review the status of the association and to appeal for its continued support.

The LBJ School Alumni Association has made some important strides in the past year. The LBJ Alumni Directory has been produced for a second year, making that project, by LBJ School standards, something of an institution. We instituted the publication of a newsletter, publicizing personal information, as well as professional information about graduates (some of which was true). We have implemented a series of continuing education seminars on such topics as "how to use consultants" and "public finance." We have had a series of articles in the Record on alumni activities. A Washington chapter of the association is being organized to help promote a network of contacts in that important location. We have also held a series of social events—a reception in October, a Christmas party, and a spring picnic—for graduates in the Austin area.

Through these projects, I believe we have generated new interest and enthusiasm on the part of the members and have built up some momentum on the part of the association. I would like to thank the individuals who have helped contribute to the success of these programs. And special thanks to the Dean and staff of the LBJ School for the support they have given us in the past year.

In spite of the year's accomplishments and the momentum developed, I believe the association is at a critical stage of its development. We. need to continue working and, as a lame duck president, I would like to suggest the following areas for future activity:

1) I believe the past year's activities need to be continued as ongoing services of the association. The directory, the newsletter, the social functions, and the continuing education seminars were well-received, well-attended, and appear to meet a genuine need. We need continuity in our programs so that a track record can be established.

2) I believe the association needs to develop closer and stronger ties with the LBJ School. This past year's activities focused on the needs of graduates in an effort to develop support for the association; but the association needs to remember that its principal aim is to support the School.

3) I believe continuing education deserves an even higher priority in the association's activities. Continuing education is of benefit to both the graduate and the School. It can help graduates stay current in their field—through knowledge of publications, periodicals, lectures, seminars, etc. It can also benefit the School by providing feedback on the success of its curriculum.

Most importantly, I would like to encourage all graduates to more actively support the association. Our more recent graduates deserve most of the credit for getting the association moving this year. I hope we can continue to capture the enthusiasm of the most recent graduating classes; but I also hope we can develop and promote the support of earlier classes. Their experience—especially as they advance to higher positions—is crucial to the development of an influential alumni network.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity of serving as president of the Alumni Association this past year. I hope you will continue to support a formal association of LBJ School graduates aimed at the promotion of a professional civil service.

Sincerely,

David B. West

President

The second Alumni Association-sponsored "occasional seminar" concerning the topic of municipal bonds proved to be informative and interesting to all of the alumni, students and faculty who were in attendance. All who were there will be able to understand the upcoming bond election more fully and also plan their personal finances with an additional option—municipal bonds.

The Alumni Association and the Continuing Education Task Force thank all who participated in this seminar and who made it a success. Again special thanks go to Jared Hazleton for his support.

Several articles concerning municipal finance and personal investment were made available to participants. These are also available to contributing alumni.

If you would like a copy, please contact one of the board members and the literature will be forwarded to you.

Planning is underway for a one-day (or two-evening) workshop on either grantsmanship or computer science in management. This is tentatively scheduled for early August. Alumni, in addition to those who attended the seminar, will be contacted to determine their preferences on time and topic. Feel free to contact any of the board members to express your opinion.

You are reminded that the alumni are having a picnic for the graduating students on May 6 at 4 p.m. The place is City Park. Bring your own food; beer and soft drinks will be provided. Hope to see all of you there.

Also, due to the efforts of Wilda Campbell and the interest of many alumni, a Third Thursday "souse it up" get-together will occur monthly at Scholtz's after work. Come join us!

Finally, don't forget that the election for new board members is taking place in May and June. Alumni should submit their nominations and vote. Graduating students are encouraged to participate in the voting and are asked to have the forwarding addresses left with the school so that the ballots can be mailed to them and returned on a timely basis.

To all, have a fine summer.

--Malcolm MacDonald

MAY CALENDAR

May 5 Friday	8:30 am-3:30 pm	Conference on the Future of Urban Policy	Academic Center 4th Floor
May 6 Saturday	4:00 pm	Picnic for LBJ Graduates, sponsored by the LBJ Alumni Association	City Park
May 12 Friday		Last Day of Classes, Spring Semester
May 13 Saturday	2:00 pm till...	School-wide Spring Picnic	Grady Hazlewood's Lake Austin home
May 15 Monday		Deadline for submission of bound Independent Project Reports to Library
May 16-17 Tuesday-Wednesday		Faculty and students meet for May evaluations
May 20 Saturday	10:30 am	LBJ School Commencement	B. Iden Payne Theatre (Drama Building)

ENGINEERING AND GOVERNMENT DISCUSSED IN SCHOTT ARTICLE

In a recent article published in Public Administration Review (March/April 1978), Professor Richard Schott looks at the engineering profession from the standpoint of its impact on government, raising several issues which surround the role of engineers in the public service.

Schott says that engineering is primarily a profession of white males from lower-middle and lower class origins who tend to place high value on tangible rewards and advancement and whose social commitment is relatively weak.

He cites a number of factors which tend to perpetuate the "thing-oriented" career objectives of engineers at the expense of public service-oriented goals. One is the nature of the engineering curriculum, which devotes as little as one semester of its four-year program to "socio-humanistic" studies, concentrating instead on technical subjects. Schott feels this greatly limits the engineering student's potential for understanding the broader social applications of the engineering profession.

Another significant factor is the nature of engineers and engineering students themselves, who generally tend to be anti-intellectual, pragmatic, and "thing-oriented." Added to these traits is a tendency of practicing engineers to be attracted to supervisory and administrative work and to seek managerial positions within their organizations.

Schott feels that the very characteristics which tend to push engineers into these high-level positions are those which suggest an inability to cope effectively with the policy roles many assume.

He cites evidence to support his belief that the tendency of engineering schools is not toward improving the humanistic, liberal education components in the curriculum, and adds his contention that the highly diverse nature of engineering organizations will not allow for the development of a service ethic in the profession as a whole.

He concludes that although "the technical expertise of engineering has been invaluable to the number of complex tasks that governments have undertaken over the years...," a "special problem" is created as engineers continue to move into important decision-making positions without the social perspectives and analytical skills to serve the public interest.

FORUM FOR CETA PRIME SPONSORS HELD HERE

In conjunction with the 1977-78 policy research project, "Public Employment Programs as a Remedy to Unemployment," conducted by Professors John Gronouski, Kenneth Tolo and Robert Glover, the LBJ School co-sponsored an Invitational Forum for state and local CETA prime sponsors on April 17-19, 1978. The forum was co-sponsored by the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations at the University of Houston with funding from the Region VI office of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Employment and training administrators from across the United States were invited selectively, based on their interest and past record of performance in moving program participants from public service jobs into unsubsidized employment.

Almost three dozen CETA administrators from across the nation came to the forum, which was held in the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center. The objective of the conference was to provide an exchange of information on ways to move CETA clients from subsidized public jobs to unsubsidized employment in the public and private sectors.

Students in the Policy Research Project, under the leadership of Don Saylor, prepared the issue paper which structured workshop discussions during the forum. LBJ students also recorded and summarized the conference proceedings, which will be published by the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations during Summer, 1978.