PROPOSAL FOR RESEARCH PROJECT CONCERNING THE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF SIX LATIN AMERICAN REPUBLICS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP67-00059A000300140030-0
Release Decision: 
RIFPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
3
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
July 30, 2012
Sequence Number: 
30
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
January 8, 1947
Content Type: 
MF
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PDF icon CIA-RDP67-00059A000300140030-0.pdf249.59 KB
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Declassified and Approved ForRelease2012/07/30 : CIA-RDP67-00059A000300140030-0 WEL sausri 1947 R TEE M8ISTANT BIBECTOR, REPORTS AND TIMATERi sonar' Proposal oh Project.Concerning the Govern - sent and Politics of six Latin American Republic's 1. This project, if approved and succesefully executed, , would result in the preparation -- under direction sufficiently elose to protect CIGts interest of political science treatises: on the governaent and politics of the following countries' Anew- tins, itasil, Mexico, Coloibia, Chile, and Univers 2. Satisfaetory treatises of the six countries aentioned absence of a lead from some US modest laddy, ouch treatises within the predictable future. on the government and polities are not now available. In the Government agency and at least e are not likely to be undertaken 3. The finished treatises, it executed in such fashion as to meet the highest standards of research and analysis in the field ofpolitioal scienee, would greatly facilitate the reading of politleal trends in Latin America, and would therefore- prove highly useful to the Latin American Branith of CIO. While the precise cOn-- tent end organisation of the treatises vould'he determined by a coemittee yet to be appointed (see below, paragraph 5.11), eaeh would include el a matter of eourse an analysis of the history, organisation, program, leadership and popular following of the political parties of the country in question, a study of the im- pact upon goverment and politics in that country of the power, wealth, and position of Hemisphere leadership of the United States, and studies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government in operation e., in descriptive not legal terns 44 The research and writing tank in question should be per- med by local seholars (US scholars with relevant training are in short supply, few US seholars with raiment training possess the necessary language skills, the expense of sending US scholars to the countries in question and keeping them there long enough to do the job, would be prohibitive, local scholars would bring to the Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/07/30: CIA-RDP67-00059A000300140030-0 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/07/30: CIA-RDP67-00059A000300140030-0 task valuable first-hande of the local situations). Since, however, Latin American political science is still in its infancy, the planning of the treaties. and a certain &agree of editorial control over their content should be ontrusted to US scholars in the field of comparative government, Those US scholars should also participate in the selection of the ;weans who aro to do the research and writing job. 5. The undorsigned believes that the necessary planning end editorial control over the research for end writing of the six books mild be accomplished by el **using the appointment of a coomidttes of US oonparad. tiro government scholars, who would draw up a basic questionnair, calculated to elioit the desired information; retaining the sorvices of Latin American scholars in kindred research fiolds (history, esonomice, sociology, geography, *to.) who are also suceessful writers; and asking payment for their service conditional upon ecru pulous execUtion of the questionnaire. 6 Sines CIO's intermit in the project could become known only at great cost both to CIO and to future US-sponsored research in Latin America, careful thought would have to be given to a, the possible wisdom of asking Mr. Benton's office to ase responsibility for the project; k the possible wisdom of asking Mr. Eddy organisation to assume morons/I:ditty for the, project; the poasiblo wisdom entirely apart from the quostion of what US Government agency should boom* responsible for the project of causing one of the largo university promo to sponsor the pro- jest, name the committee of US scholars, engage the authors, and sake payment to them in the form of advancer royalties to be paid o. g, in fourths as parts of the questionnaire wore completed, of funds rir. eeived for this purpose; A the possible wisdom of approaching a philanthropist in- rested in Latin America (er. elson Rockefellor, for example) and Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/07/30: CIA-RDP67-00059A000300140030-0 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/07/30: CIA-RDP67-00059A000300140030-0 asking him to supply the ne possibility of future eiba, United States. ry funds in o void all smut for the Goverment of the (The undersigned believes A that an advance rojalty of $ 1000 pe: volume would be adequate, and k that a university press would undertake the project if subsidised in the amount of $6000 the total of the advance royalties.) 7. The undersigned believe' that CIG would be interest in the project through careful attention to of the baste questionnaire. So The undersigned has religion to believe that either the University of Mahon* Press or the University of Minnesota Press would be willing to undertake the project on the above terse. He farther has reason to believe that Professor Herman Finer of the University of Chicago, the leading English-speaking seholar in the field of comparative goverment, would weloose an invitation +.4) participate in the preparation of the haste questionnaire, (signed) coin Branch Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/07/30: CIA-RDP67-00059A000300140030-0