Merle Fainsod
Encyclopedia
Merle Fainsod was an American political scientist best known for his work on public administration
and as a scholar of the Soviet Union
. His books Smolensk under Soviet Rule, based on documents captured by the German Army during World War II
, and How Russia is Ruled helped form the basis of American study of the Soviet Union, and established him "as a leading political scientist of the Soviet Union." Fainsod is also remembered for his work in the Office of Price Administration
and as the director of the Harvard University Library
.
on May 2, 1907, and spent his childhood years there. In 1920, after the death of his father, Fainsod's family moved to St. Louis. Fainsod attended Washington University in St. Louis
, graduating in 1928 with a B.A.
in political science and an M.A.
in 1930. He then began his Ph.D at Harvard University
in government, completing it in only 2 years.
In 1932, Fainsod traveled to the Soviet Union on a Sheldon Fellowship, gaining his first exposure to the country. In 1933, he returned to the United States and began teaching in the government department at Harvard. Upon his return to the United States he also married Elizabeth Stix, with whom he had two children.
Throughout the 1930s, most of Fainsod's work focused on the United States, and he published the books The American People and their Government and Government and the American Economy. Because of his expertise on American government, he was chosen as a staff member for the Brownlow Committee
in 1936. In 1940, he was chosen as a consultant for the Temporary National Economic Committee
, and in 1941, when America entered World War II
, he was selected as a price executive for the Office of Price Administration
(OPA). In April 1942, he was chosen to direct the retail trade and services division of the OPA.
After the war, Fainsod was promoted to full professor at Harvard, and continued his work in research and teaching. That same year, he was selected to serve as the chairman of the Government Department, a position he held until 1949. As the Cold War
emerged, Fainsod took a renewed interest in the Soviet Union and helped to establish the Russian Research Center at Harvard in 1948, which he directed from 1959 to 1964. Fainsod encouraged other scholars of the Soviet Union to use an interdisciplinary area studies
approach, and he helped to "refocus scholars' understanding of the Soviet Union."
In the 1950s, Fainsod focused on the Soviet Union with his landmark works How Russia is Ruled (1953) and Smolensk under Soviet Rule (1958) using Smolensk Archive
documents. In the 1960s, he held numerous leadership positions at Harvard. From 1966 to 1967, he served as President of the American Political Science Association
and from 1964 to 1972 he served as director of the Harvard University Library
. In 1969 after violence and unrest on the Harvard campus, Fainsod led the Fainsod Committee to study the issue of reform to Harvard's government. On the committee, Fainsod "called for unity" and helped to bring together students and administrators.
Fainsod died of a heart attack on February 11, 1972 in the Harvard hospital.
or the Soviet Union
. Over his career, he published five books as well as many journal articles and book chapters. Of his scholarship, his work on the Soviet Union became most important, and his book How Russia is Ruled "became a classic and was used for decades as a textbook."
, intended primarily for junior colleges. In addition to providing basic facts about government, the book attempted to "teach patriotism, citizenship, and a proper zeal for the Americanization of aliens." The book was rather poorly received. Grayson Kirk expressed "skepticism over the value of the finished product", and wrote that "the idea behind the book is much better than the book itself."
, dividing them into three groups. According to Fainsod, the first group, right wing socialists, wholeheartedly supported their national governments in the war and refrained from contact with other socialist parties and international groups. The second group, centrist socialists, "voted for the war credits only to maintain the unity of their respective parties," and maintained a pacifist position as well as taking part in international conferences. The final group, left wing socialists, opposed the war and attempted to spread agitation and revolution.
Reviewers received the book favorably. Writing in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Edward Berman called the book "an excellent and informative account." Leading Soviet scholar E.H. Carr called the book "a most valuable piece of research," and Arnold Zurcher faulted the book for "repetition of subject-matter" but praised the "superior quality" of the research involved.
. Intended as a textbook, the book presented the "economic, organizational, legal, and constitutional setting" for American business and discussed the evolution of the role of the government in the economy over the first half of the twentieth century. In examining the relationship, the book primarily focused on political matters, and did not present any significant discussion of monetary policy
, a fact criticized by Oscar Gass in the University of Chicago Law Review
.
Despite criticizing the omission of monetary policy, Gass praised the volume, writing that it was "distinguished for its penetrating economic analysis." Henry Villard
delivered a less positive review. He wrote that "as a source of information on the legal and institutional framework within which the American economy operates ... this volume is very valuable," but concluded by faulting the lack of analysis in the book, labeling it "unrealistic" and "unenlightening." John George, writing in the American Political Science Review
presented a much more positive outlook, writing, "this book easily places first in its field."
, which occurred only months prior to the book's release. In the How Russia is Ruled, Fainsod "carefully described and analyzed" both the theory and practice of public administration in the Soviet Union.
Philip Buck wrote that the book was "of great interest to the general reader," but found that it had less utility for serious scholars, criticizing in particular the lack of details on Soviet economic planning. Writing in Political Science Quarterly
, Leo Gruliow presented a generally favorable review of the book, but criticized its lack of detailed analysis on the Soviet propaganda
and indoctrination
efforts.
In 1963, Fainsod released a revised edition of How Russia is Ruled. By that time, the original book was recognized as "one of the most authoritative interpretations of Soviet reality" and had become very influential among Sovietologists. In the revised edition, Fainsod used new sources of data on the Soviet Union to help expand on many of the themes in the first edition, and devoted more attention to the post-Stalin era. In the revised edition, Fainsod also took into account certain changes in international dynamics, including the increasing role of nuclear weapons, the Sino-Soviet split
and some of the liberalization in the USSR. In 1997, Foreign Affairs
named the book on its list of "significant books" and called How Russia is Ruled "the book that defined the field of Soviet studies."
after overrunning the city of Smolensk
. After the defeat of Germany, the United States took control of the documents, which were given to Fainsod in the 1950s. These documents were "the most extensive documentary corroboration" of information on the Soviet Union available at the time. Based on the documents, Fainsod presented strong arguments about the power of Stalin during his lifetime, and argued that the party itself became merely a transmission mechanism for Stalin's ideas. Fainsod also presented many insights into the inner workings of Soviet governance before World War II.
Although generally well-received at the time, Smolensk under Soviet Rule found less of a place in later scholarship than How Russia is Ruled. In 1991, Catherine Merridale wrote in the Slavic Review
: "Fainsod's interpretation has dated," but she still praised some aspects of the book, including its study of the NKVD
and dekulakization
. Similarly, Irving Anellis in 1996 hailed the book as "one of the most significant sovietological studies of its day," but argued that Fainsod's conceptual models and theories had not stood the test of time.
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
and as a scholar of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. His books Smolensk under Soviet Rule, based on documents captured by the German Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and How Russia is Ruled helped form the basis of American study of the Soviet Union, and established him "as a leading political scientist of the Soviet Union." Fainsod is also remembered for his work in the Office of Price Administration
Office of Price Administration
The Office of Price Administration was established within the Office for Emergency Management of the United States government by Executive Order 8875 on August 28, 1941. The functions of the OPA was originally to control money and rents after the outbreak of World War II.President Franklin D...
and as the director of the Harvard University Library
Harvard University Library
The Harvard University Library system comprises about 90 libraries, with more than 16 million volumes. It is the oldest library system in the United States, the largest academic and the largest private library system in the world...
.
Biography
Fainsod was born in McKees Rocks, PennsylvaniaMcKees Rocks, Pennsylvania
McKees Rocks, also known as "The Rocks", is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, along the south bank of the Ohio River. The borough population was 6,104 at the 2010 census.In the past, it was known for its extensive iron and steel interests...
on May 2, 1907, and spent his childhood years there. In 1920, after the death of his father, Fainsod's family moved to St. Louis. Fainsod attended Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
, graduating in 1928 with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science and an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1930. He then began his Ph.D at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in government, completing it in only 2 years.
In 1932, Fainsod traveled to the Soviet Union on a Sheldon Fellowship, gaining his first exposure to the country. In 1933, he returned to the United States and began teaching in the government department at Harvard. Upon his return to the United States he also married Elizabeth Stix, with whom he had two children.
Throughout the 1930s, most of Fainsod's work focused on the United States, and he published the books The American People and their Government and Government and the American Economy. Because of his expertise on American government, he was chosen as a staff member for the Brownlow Committee
Brownlow Committee
The President's Committee on Administrative Management, commonly known as the Brownlow Committee or Brownlow Commission, was a committee that in 1937 recommended sweeping changes to the executive branch of the United States government. The recommendations made by the committee resulted in the...
in 1936. In 1940, he was chosen as a consultant for the Temporary National Economic Committee
Temporary National Economic Committee
The Temporary National Economic Committee was established by a joint resolution of the United States Congress on June 16, 1938 and operated until its defunding on April 3, 1941. The TNEC's function was to study the monopoly powers and to report to Congress with its findings.One of the many firms...
, and in 1941, when America entered World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was selected as a price executive for the Office of Price Administration
Office of Price Administration
The Office of Price Administration was established within the Office for Emergency Management of the United States government by Executive Order 8875 on August 28, 1941. The functions of the OPA was originally to control money and rents after the outbreak of World War II.President Franklin D...
(OPA). In April 1942, he was chosen to direct the retail trade and services division of the OPA.
After the war, Fainsod was promoted to full professor at Harvard, and continued his work in research and teaching. That same year, he was selected to serve as the chairman of the Government Department, a position he held until 1949. As the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
emerged, Fainsod took a renewed interest in the Soviet Union and helped to establish the Russian Research Center at Harvard in 1948, which he directed from 1959 to 1964. Fainsod encouraged other scholars of the Soviet Union to use an interdisciplinary area studies
Area studies
Area studies are interdisciplinary fields of research and scholarship pertaining to particular geographical, national/federal, or cultural regions. The term exists primarily as a general description for what are, in the practice of scholarship, many heterogeneous fields of research, encompassing...
approach, and he helped to "refocus scholars' understanding of the Soviet Union."
In the 1950s, Fainsod focused on the Soviet Union with his landmark works How Russia is Ruled (1953) and Smolensk under Soviet Rule (1958) using Smolensk Archive
Smolensk Archive
The Smolensk Archive is the name given to the archives of Smolensk Oblast Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which were captured intact by the army of Nazi Germany when it conquered the city of Smolensk in 1941...
documents. In the 1960s, he held numerous leadership positions at Harvard. From 1966 to 1967, he served as President of the American Political Science Association
American Political Science Association
The American Political Science Association is a professional association of political science students and scholars in the United States. Founded in 1903, it publishes three academic journals...
and from 1964 to 1972 he served as director of the Harvard University Library
Harvard University Library
The Harvard University Library system comprises about 90 libraries, with more than 16 million volumes. It is the oldest library system in the United States, the largest academic and the largest private library system in the world...
. In 1969 after violence and unrest on the Harvard campus, Fainsod led the Fainsod Committee to study the issue of reform to Harvard's government. On the committee, Fainsod "called for unity" and helped to bring together students and administrators.
Fainsod died of a heart attack on February 11, 1972 in the Harvard hospital.
Scholarship
Most of Fainsod's scholarship and writing focused on either public administrationPublic administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
or the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Over his career, he published five books as well as many journal articles and book chapters. Of his scholarship, his work on the Soviet Union became most important, and his book How Russia is Ruled "became a classic and was used for decades as a textbook."
The American People and Their Government
In 1934, Fainsod co-authored the book The American People and Their Government with Arnold Lien. The book was a textbookTextbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
, intended primarily for junior colleges. In addition to providing basic facts about government, the book attempted to "teach patriotism, citizenship, and a proper zeal for the Americanization of aliens." The book was rather poorly received. Grayson Kirk expressed "skepticism over the value of the finished product", and wrote that "the idea behind the book is much better than the book itself."
International Socialism and the World War
Fainsod revised his doctoral dissertation and published it in 1935 as International Socialism and the World War. The book analyzed the reactions of international socialist parties to World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, dividing them into three groups. According to Fainsod, the first group, right wing socialists, wholeheartedly supported their national governments in the war and refrained from contact with other socialist parties and international groups. The second group, centrist socialists, "voted for the war credits only to maintain the unity of their respective parties," and maintained a pacifist position as well as taking part in international conferences. The final group, left wing socialists, opposed the war and attempted to spread agitation and revolution.
Reviewers received the book favorably. Writing in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Edward Berman called the book "an excellent and informative account." Leading Soviet scholar E.H. Carr called the book "a most valuable piece of research," and Arnold Zurcher faulted the book for "repetition of subject-matter" but praised the "superior quality" of the research involved.
Government and the American Economy
In 1941, Fainsod released his third book, Government and the American Economy, co-authored with Lincoln GordonLincoln Gordon
Abraham Lincoln Gordon was a United States Ambassador to Brazil and the 9th President of the Johns Hopkins University . Gordon had a career both in government and in academia, becoming a Professor of International Economic Relations at Harvard University in the 1950s, before turning his attention...
. Intended as a textbook, the book presented the "economic, organizational, legal, and constitutional setting" for American business and discussed the evolution of the role of the government in the economy over the first half of the twentieth century. In examining the relationship, the book primarily focused on political matters, and did not present any significant discussion of monetary policy
Monetary policy
Monetary policy is the process by which the monetary authority of a country controls the supply of money, often targeting a rate of interest for the purpose of promoting economic growth and stability. The official goals usually include relatively stable prices and low unemployment...
, a fact criticized by Oscar Gass in the University of Chicago Law Review
University of Chicago Law Review
The University of Chicago Law Review is a law journal published by the University of Chicago Law School, and was established in 1933. From 1942 through 1945 the review was published by the faculty, due to World War II. Prominent former student members have included Judge Abner J...
.
Despite criticizing the omission of monetary policy, Gass praised the volume, writing that it was "distinguished for its penetrating economic analysis." Henry Villard
Henry Villard
Henry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....
delivered a less positive review. He wrote that "as a source of information on the legal and institutional framework within which the American economy operates ... this volume is very valuable," but concluded by faulting the lack of analysis in the book, labeling it "unrealistic" and "unenlightening." John George, writing in the American Political Science Review
American Political Science Review
The American Political Science Review is the flagship publication of the American Political Science Association and is the most prestigious journal in political science according to the ISI 2004 Journal Citation Report...
presented a much more positive outlook, writing, "this book easily places first in its field."
How Russia is Ruled
In 1953, Fainsod finished his book How Russia is Ruled. The book analyzed Soviet governance from the very beginnings of the Soviet Union until the death of Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, which occurred only months prior to the book's release. In the How Russia is Ruled, Fainsod "carefully described and analyzed" both the theory and practice of public administration in the Soviet Union.
Philip Buck wrote that the book was "of great interest to the general reader," but found that it had less utility for serious scholars, criticizing in particular the lack of details on Soviet economic planning. Writing in Political Science Quarterly
Political Science Quarterly
Political Science Quarterly is an American scholarly journal covering government, politics and policy, published continuously since 1886 by the Academy of Political Science. It is the oldest political science journal in the United States....
, Leo Gruliow presented a generally favorable review of the book, but criticized its lack of detailed analysis on the Soviet propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
and indoctrination
Indoctrination
Indoctrination is the process of inculcating ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies or a professional methodology . It is often distinguished from education by the fact that the indoctrinated person is expected not to question or critically examine the doctrine they have learned...
efforts.
In 1963, Fainsod released a revised edition of How Russia is Ruled. By that time, the original book was recognized as "one of the most authoritative interpretations of Soviet reality" and had become very influential among Sovietologists. In the revised edition, Fainsod used new sources of data on the Soviet Union to help expand on many of the themes in the first edition, and devoted more attention to the post-Stalin era. In the revised edition, Fainsod also took into account certain changes in international dynamics, including the increasing role of nuclear weapons, the Sino-Soviet split
Sino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
and some of the liberalization in the USSR. In 1997, Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
named the book on its list of "significant books" and called How Russia is Ruled "the book that defined the field of Soviet studies."
Smolensk under Soviet Rule
In 1958, Fainsod released another book on the Soviet Union, Smolensk under Soviet Rule. The book was based on internal Communist party documents captured by the German ArmySmolensk Archive
The Smolensk Archive is the name given to the archives of Smolensk Oblast Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which were captured intact by the army of Nazi Germany when it conquered the city of Smolensk in 1941...
after overrunning the city of Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
. After the defeat of Germany, the United States took control of the documents, which were given to Fainsod in the 1950s. These documents were "the most extensive documentary corroboration" of information on the Soviet Union available at the time. Based on the documents, Fainsod presented strong arguments about the power of Stalin during his lifetime, and argued that the party itself became merely a transmission mechanism for Stalin's ideas. Fainsod also presented many insights into the inner workings of Soviet governance before World War II.
Although generally well-received at the time, Smolensk under Soviet Rule found less of a place in later scholarship than How Russia is Ruled. In 1991, Catherine Merridale wrote in the Slavic Review
Slavic Review
Slavic Review is a leading international peer-reviewed academic journal publishing scholarly studies and book reviews in all disciplines concerned with Russia, Central Eurasia, and Eastern and Central Europe...
: "Fainsod's interpretation has dated," but she still praised some aspects of the book, including its study of the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
and dekulakization
Dekulakization
Dekulakization was the Soviet campaign of political repressions, including arrests, deportations, and executions of millions of the better-off peasants and their families in 1929-1932. The richer peasants were labeled kulaks and considered class enemies...
. Similarly, Irving Anellis in 1996 hailed the book as "one of the most significant sovietological studies of its day," but argued that Fainsod's conceptual models and theories had not stood the test of time.