Ga. Silver, THE CASE OF THE MISSING SECRETARY - DHEWS FAILED EFFORTS TO CREATE A CABINET SECRETARY OF HEALTH, American journal of public health, 87(4), 1997, pp. 681-686
In response to professional and political pressures in 1967, an incide
nt occurred at the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare that i
llustrates the delicacy and complexity of the legislative process. In
an effort to bypass interest group influences, the undersecretary of t
he Department undertook a maneuver that backfired and frustrated an op
portunity that might have resulted in the establishment of a Cabinet o
ffice of Health. In addition to demonstrating the sensitivity of the l
egislative process, and the dangers of overconfidence in dealing with
the process, the events also offer moral guidance: too stubborn, ideal
istic convictions of good people, however well intentioned the actions
, may-serve to defeat the desired ends.