Daniel Patrick Moynihan and his ‘Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture’ (1962)

Journal article

Following Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s retirement in 2000, and subsequent death in 2003, scholars have renewed their efforts to critique his political ideas and public policy legacy. But, with the notable exception of Nathan Glazer’s From a Cause to a Style: Modernist Architecture’s Encounter With the American City (2007), most of these writings have focused on Moynihan’s controversial activities in welfare, poverty, crime, and family policy, to the detriment of a detailed analysis of his federal architectural policymaking efforts (Glazer 2007, 146–162; Patterson 2010; Geary 2015). This is a surprising omission, given that the design of public buildings is one of the few areas where Moynihan’s thought has had far-reaching consequences: His ‘Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture’ (a short statement that Moynihan wrote in mid 1962), today form the crux of the United States’ federal architectural policy. This article therefore offers an insight into an often-overlooked policy area by analyzing the origins, meanings, and significance of Moynihan’s ‘Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture’.

Authors: Heath, K

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: PS: Political Science and Politics
• Volume: 50
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 384-387
• Publication date: 2017-03-31
• Acceptance date: 2017-01-09
• DOI: 10.1017/S1049096516002845
• EISSN: 1537-5935
• ISSN: 1049-0965
• Language: English
• Keywords: Daniel Patrick Moynihan; Federal Architectural Policy; Federal Architecture; New Frontier