Author: Howard J. Silver

Howard J. Silver served as the executive director of the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) in Washington, DC, from 1988 to 2013. He has testified before Congress, spoken on federal funding of science at many professional meetings, and written extensively on executive-legislative relations, the federal budget process, and science policy as it affects the social and behavioral sciences.

Through the Prism of the Past: Watergate Memories at the Nixon Library
International Debate
June 30, 2017

Through the Prism of the Past: Watergate Memories at the Nixon Library

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Centennials: Events of the Last Century Impinge on this One
Public Policy
May 18, 2017

Centennials: Events of the Last Century Impinge on this One

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Honoring Two Unsung Heroes of the Federal Statistical System
Career
April 10, 2017

Honoring Two Unsung Heroes of the Federal Statistical System

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Three Movies and a Play Explore U.S. Racial Politics
Communication
March 14, 2017

Three Movies and a Play Explore U.S. Racial Politics

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And So Power Passes: Whats Next for Federal Role in Social Science?

And So Power Passes: Whats Next for Federal Role in Social Science?

Our Howard Silver looks over some of the personnel changes and rhetoric coming from the White House to see what lies down the road for U.S. government support of social and behavioral science and data collection.

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Will November Prove to be the Cruelest Month for Science?

Will November Prove to be the Cruelest Month for Science?

T.S. Eliot said “April is the cruelest month.” This November has been pretty harsh, too, says blogger Howard J. Silver, who wonders what the new U.S. president will mean for a number of issues, including research funding.

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An Engineer at the NSF: Erich Bloch, 1925-2016

An Engineer at the NSF: Erich Bloch, 1925-2016

Erich Bloch was the first non-academic to serve as director of the NSF. Although a computer engineer by background, he recognized the value of the social and behavioral sciences.

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A Short History of Contested Presidential Elections

A Short History of Contested Presidential Elections

Noting that one candidate has been claiming the upcoming U.S. presidential vote is ‘rigged,’ our Washington-based blogger takes a look at the ways that past presidential elections have been less than clear-cut, and that ways in which the system bent to accommodate a peaceful transfer of power.

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How Much Do Campaigns (and Debates) Really Matter?

How Much Do Campaigns (and Debates) Really Matter?

The American presidential campaign season, official and unofficial, seems essentially endless. But as the US enters the homestretch for 2016, Howard Silver wonders how much all this sound and fury really matters to voters

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Vice Presidents: American Politics’ Vestigial Organ

Vice Presidents: American Politics’ Vestigial Organ

While the choice of who will be Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s vice presidential candidates currently consumes the American chattering class, once the choice is made the chosen are more likely than not to slide into obscurity.

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Presidential Elections and Party Unity

Presidential Elections and Party Unity

As we head toward the 2016 nominating conventions, both presumptive nominees Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton face questions about their ability to unify their parties around their candidacies, both at the political elite level and the grass roots level.

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Presidential Nominations: A Quick History

Presidential Nominations: A Quick History

As Amefrcans do every four years after the process ends, we will ask the question whether this is the best way to choose nominees to lead the United States?

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