The Funding of Social Knowledge Production and Application A Survey of Federal Agencies (1978) / Chapter Skim
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'DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'
'DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'
Pages 41-72
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From page 41... ...
is the second-largest cabinet-level funder of social knowledge production and application in the federal government, obligating more than $280 million in fiscal 1977. While the bulk of the department's research and development funds are devoted to agricultural research, it carries out a significant amount of social research and related activities.
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From page 42... ...
. o A significant amount of the department's social research is performed at local research units, called state agricultural experiment stations.
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From page 43... ...
The statistical activities take place primarily in two agencies, the Statistical Reporting Service and the Agricultural Marketing Service. Three categories -- research, general purpose statistics, and dissemination -- dominate the department's social knowledge production and application activities.
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From page 44... ...
It can also be seen that the minor funders of social knowledge production and application are predominantly operating agencies outside the two major organizational units. POLICY AREAS IN THE DEPARTMENT Table 4-3 presents agencies that conduct social knowledge production and application activities by policy area.
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From page 45... ...
agency federal policies Food and Agricultural 189.8 Science and Education Administration (Extension Service) 161.1 Dissemination Operating Knowledge for agency third parties (Cooperative State 27.2 Research R&D agency Knowledge for Research Service)
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While studies have not focused on the role of social research within the agricultural R&D system, the findings and recommendations are applicable to the agency's support of social research and related activities. For further information on the agricultural research and development system, see: Special Oversight Review of Agricultural Research and Development.
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From page 49... ...
AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE Social Knowledge Production and Application Obligations (Sthousands) Knowledge Production Activities Knowledge Application Activities Policy Policy Formula- Program General Implemen- DevelopFiscal Re- tion Dem- Evalu- Purpose tation Dem- ment of DissemYear search onstrations ation Statistics Total onstrations Materials ination Total TOTAL 1975 5 10.015 10.020 1.238 1.238 11.258 1976 90 10.448 10.538 1.291 1.291 1 1 .829 1977 90 10.809 10.899 1.336 1.336 12.235 The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
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From page 50... ...
Social Knowledge Production and Agencies Prior to Consolidation Application Obligations Economic Research Service 31.9 Farmer Cooperative Service 2.5 Statistical Reporting Service 34.0 Economic Management Support Center" TOTAL 68.4 "Not surveyed.
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From page 51... ...
-81 6.994 6.994 31.925 The Economic Research Service (ERS) is the largest social research agency within USDA, and all of its research is social.
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From page 52... ...
Economic Research and Analysis of Market Structure and Performance ($5.7 million) This program: o identifies changes in the structure and performance of market subsectors and the causes and impacts of those changes on farmers, consumers, and the national economy; o estimates and analyzes the ranges of prices that occur in the food and fiber sector; o analyzes and evaluates the impact of public transportation policies on U.S.
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From page 53... ...
Social and Economic Research and Analysis to Assist in the Planning and Development of Rural Areas ($2.9 million) This program: o identifies, evaluates, and makes projections of demographic characteristics and trends; o studies and identifies the characteristics of rural labor forces; o studies the economic and social characteristics of manpower programs; o measures the socioeconomic characteristics of rural people and communities; o analyzes the adequacy of governmental and nongovernmental facilities and services in rural areas (water, sewage, medical care, education, housing, energy, and transportation)
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From page 54... ...
This program can be viewed as a "foreign" extension service. The remainder of ERS funds for dissemination is spent on the publication and distribution of their research studies.
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From page 55... ...
The data help to identify and support future research and technical assistance activities and are used by legislative and executive decision makers in formulating agriculture policy.
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From page 56... ...
Knowledge Production Activities Knowledge Application Activities Policy Policy Formula- Program General Implemen- DevelopFiscal Re- tion Dem- Evalu- Purpose tation Dem- men t of DissemYear search onstrations ation Statistics Total onstrations Materials ination Total TOTAL 1975 838 26.468 27 ,306 27.306 1976 1.972 29.233 31.205 31.205 1977 2.007 32.031 34.038 34.038 The Statistical Reporting Service (SRS) administers the USDA'S programs of collecting and publishing national and state agricultural statistics.
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From page 57... ...
It also collects data on farm employment, farm wage rates, stocks and values of farm commodities, indexes of prices paid and received by farmers, and parity prices. For Further Information Write Statistical Reporting Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
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From page 58... ...
Social Knowledge Production and Agencies Prior to Consolidation Application Obligations Farmers Home Administration 0.1 Rural Development Service 0.1 TOTAL 0.2 FARMERS HOME ADMINISTRATION Social Knowledge Production and Application Obligations (Sthousands) Knowledge Production Activities Knowledge Application Activities Policy Policy Formula- Program General Implemen- DevelopFiscal Re- tion Dem- Evalu- Purpose taiion Dem- ment of DissemYear search onstrations ation Statistics Total onstrations Materials ination Total TOTAL 1975 10 50 60 60 1976 35 16 50 101 101 1977 35 14 50 99 99 The Farmers Home Administration provides financial credit to rural citizens who are unable to get credit from other sources at reasonable
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Knowledge Production Activities Knowledge Application Activities Policy Policy Formula- Program General Implemen- DevelopFiscal Re- tion Dem- Evalu- Purpose tation Dem- ment of DissemYear search onstrations ation Statistics Total onstrations Materials ination Total TOTAL 1975 95 95 55 55 I50 1976 60 60 60 1977 75 75 75 The Rural Development Service is responsible for coordinating a nationwide rural development program. It seeks to work out arrangements and procedures that will result in the better delivery of federal program resources to rural communities and areas.
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From page 60... ...
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE Social Knowledge Production and Application Obligations (Sthousands) Knowledge Production Activities Knowledge Application Activities Policy Policy Formula- Program General Implemen- DevelopFiscal Re- (ion Dem- Evalu- Purpose tation Dem- ment of DissemYear search onstrations ation Statistics Total onstrations Materials ination Total TOTAL 1975 1.332 I.332 1.332 1976 1.563 1.563 1.563 1977 1.635 1.635 1.615 The Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
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Continuing lines of inquiry for this program include the study of reducing costs in distribution and marketing systems and the development of methods to increase the efficiency of consumer marketing. For Further Information Write Agricultural Research Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
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From page 62... ...
Unlike other USDA agencies, CSRS conducts a very small amount of intramural research. The agency will be combined with the Extension Service to form a new subunit, the Cooperative Science and Education Service.
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From page 63... ...
Social research on "competition, trade adjustments, and income policy" includes work on farm adjustments, prices and incomes, and the economic aspects of marketing and competition and on developing and evaluating alternative policies and programs for enhancing agriculture marketing practices. GRANTS AND CONTRACTS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH UNDER PL 89106 This program, which has two components, was developed as a supplement to the Hatch Act of 1887 to enable USDA to provide resources for specific problems of national interest in addition to the normal emphasis of the act.
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From page 64... ...
Knowledge Production Activities Knowledge Application Activities Policy Policy Formula- Program General lmplem.ii DevelopFiscal Re- tion Dem- Evalu- Purpose tation Dem- ment of DissemYear search onstrations ation Statistics Total onstrations Materials ination Total TOTAL 1975 2.268 2.268 157.531 157.531 159.799 1976 1.867 1.867 165.984 165.984 167.851 1977 1.867 1.867 159.138 159.138 161.005 The Extension Service is the application arm of the Department of Agriculture. Its mission is to take the results of research produced by
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From page 65... ...
The issue of whether the activities of the Extension Service should be included in this survey of social knowledge production and application activities involves two key questions: (1) Are the activities of the service social in nature?
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From page 66... ...
In the preparation of this survey, the Study Project on Social Research and Development did not have the resources to study the activities of the Extension Service firsthand. Similar issues were faced several times by the Study Project when considering research activities for inclusion in the survey -- should agency policy be accepted as fact or should it be disregarded when conflicting information is provided?
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For Further Information Write Extension Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
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From page 68... ...
Other Knowledge Production and Application Activities A small amount of research is supported by the agency and conducted by agreement with the Economic Research Service and the Agricultural Research Service. Statistics for the agency are collected by the Statistical Reporting Service.
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From page 69... ...
Knowledge Production Activities Knowledge Application Activities Policy Policy Formula- Program General Implemen- DevelopFiscal Re- tion Dem- Evalu- Purpose tation Dem- ment of DissemYear search onstrations ation Statistics Total onstrations Materials ination Total TOTAL 1975 5.607 300 5.907 8 1.500 1.508 7.415 1976 5.808 300 6.108 35 1.685 1.720 7.828 1977 6.116 300 6.416 45 1.678 1.723 8.139 The Forest Service is responsible for managing and protecting federal forest lands, conducting forest research, and working with state and private agencies to protect nonfederal forests. While the management of federal forest lands consumes over three-fourths of the agency's budget, the Forest Service does have a major program of research and development concerning forestry.
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For Further Information Write Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington.
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From page 71... ...
Knowledge Production Activities Knowledge Application Activities Policy Policy Formula- Program General Implemen- DevelopFiscal Re- tion Dem- Evalu- Purpose tation Dem- ment of DissemYear search onstrations ation Statistics Total onstrations Materials ination Total TOTAL 1975 44 44 44 1976 46 46 46 ! 977 48 48 48 This agency finances electric and telephone facilities in rural areas to ensure that these services are available to rural Americans.
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From page 72... ...
Knowledge Production Activities Knowledge Application Activities Policy Policy Formula- Program General Implemen- DevelopFiscal Re- tion Dem- Evalu- Purpose tation Dem- ment of DissemYear search onstrations ation Statistics Total onstrations Materials ination Total TOTAL 1975 300 57 357 357 1976 331 33 364 364 1977 331 33 364 3M This agency has the responsibility for developing and carrying out a national soil and water conservation program in cooperation with landowners, developers, community planning agencies, regional resource groups, and other agencies of government. The agency's social research activities are conducted primarily in connection with river basin surveys.
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