THE INVESTIGATOR IDENTIFIED AND ANALYZED FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE PASSAGE OF THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT OF 1965, USING AN INPUT-OUTPUT SYSTEMS MODEL TO ORGANIZE RELEVANT FACTORS INTO MEANINGFUL PATTERNS. INPUTS WERE PHENOMENA, BOTH PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL, OCCURRING OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF A POLITICAL SYSTEM, AS A REDISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION, AN INFLATION IN THE ECONOMY, OR A SHIFT IN CULTURAL VALUES. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS SHAPE THE INPUTS WHICH CROSS THE BOUNDARY INTO A POLITICAL SYSTEM WHERE THEY ARE CONVERTED BY THE LEGISLATURE INTO OUTPUTS. THE PRIMARY TASK WAS TO INDICATE WHICH FACTORS IMPINGING ON THE NATIONAL LEGISLATURE AND WITHIN THE LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM HAD UNDERGONE SUFFICIENT CHANGE PRIOR TO AND DURING 1965 TO PRODUCE THE NEW OUTPUT, THE EDUCATION ACT OF 1965. THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL FINDING WHICH EMERGED FROM THIS ENDEAVOR WAS THAT THE FINAL PASSAGE OF THE SCHOOL AID BILL COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED BY A SINGLE MAJOR CHANGE AT THE EXCLUSION OF OTHERS. ALTHOUGH NO HIERARCHY OF FACTORS WAS ACHIEVABLE, THE MAJOR CHANGES WERE DISCUSSED IN SOME DETAIL AS INEXTRICABLY INTERRELATED FACTORS WHICH RESULTED IN THIS LANDMARK LEGISLATION. (GD)