Political science, judging by the reading material that reaches mydesk, has become much more of a science than it was more than 50years ago when I served on the faculties of the University ofMinnesota and Bennington College. It is important that thisdevelopment not distort the reality that politics and governmentremain fundamentally human institutions. My own movement from theacademy to practical politics, to private life, and to governmentservice has reinforced my view that the unpredictable humaningredient is an essential part of the political process—an obviousobservation but one difficult to quantify.Max M. Kampelman was counselor of the State Department,U.S. ambassador to the Conference on Security and Cooperation inEurope, and ambassador and U.S. negotiator with the Soviet Unionon Nuclear and Space Arms. He is now chairman emeritus ofFreedom House; the American Academy of Diplomacy; and theGeorgetown University Institute for the Study ofDiplomacy.