An expert on Capitol Hill describes the maze of federal agencies and Congressional subcommittees concerned with higher education. A chart on House-Senate committees is provided. (Editor/LBH)

A survey indicates that the state government has more influence on higher education than federal and local authorities together, but a growth of federal influence is foreseen. (Editor/LBH)

A slowdown and even rollback of the government intrusion can be brought about if the higher education community adopts a basic commitment to the development of credible self-regulating mechanisms. One area that needs attention is accreditation. (Editor/LBH)

The governing board of a college receives reports on academic affairs, plant costs, and fund-raising but usually knows little about federal and state actions that could decide the college's fate. Trustee decision-making could be influenced by a public policy committee that keeps the board informed. (Editor/LBH)

The government is now cooperating with higher education in an effort to reduce unnecessary intrusion and red tape. Aims include: (1) having a single federal agency collect all the data from the campus; (2) reduce the total number of forms; and (3) eliminate the collection of data that is not really used. (Author/LBH)

Most of the federal intrusion has come from the bureaucracy. The author believes that the U. S. Constitution offers protections against much federal over-regulation, and hopes that individual institutions will use them. (Editor/LBH)