ABSTRACT
Harold D. Lasswell (1902–1978) was a renowned political scientist who was instrumental in the creation of three interdisciplinary fields: communications and public opinion, political psychology, and the policy sciences. An early behavioralist, he also believed that social scientists should be engaged in solving the most difficult issues facing society and in promoting “human dignity.” Lasswell drew heavily on psychology (especially psychoanalysis) and sociology in his work. He conceived, with collaborators, the policy sciences in the 1940s. In his subsequent work, he advocated a “policy sciences of democracy” that would seek to enhance “human dignity,” and he described the policy sciences as interdisciplinary, problem-oriented, and contextual.
