The scope of the study was limited to an analysis of the legislative and administrative spheres of LEAA. State and local governments were involved in the analysis only to the extent that they have influenced Federal decisions. The data gathering involved document search, direct observation, and interviews. Those interviewed using a formal, open-ended format included all of the persons who had been appointed and confirmed as Administrator of LEAA and the only two persons who have been administrators of the Atlanta regional office of LEAA. The origins of LEAA are traced, and Federal criminal justice legislation is documented and analyzed. An analysis of the administration of LEAA focuses on in-depth interviews with the administrators and evaluators of LEAA. Congressional goals for LEAA are compared with the goals interpreted and applied by LEAA. Events which have resulted in new directions for LEAA are identified and examined. The major conclusion of the study is that LEAA has failed, by current standards, to achieve its statutory goals of crime reduction and improvement of the criminal justice system, primarily because of inadequate leadership. Audit and evaluation procedures have been improved, but money is still allocated without substantive guidelines because administrators fear that to do otherwise would be to dictate to the States in violation of the spirit of the law. A statement on the interviews and a list of those interviewed are appended. Tabular data, footnotes, organizational charts, and over 100 references are provided. (Author abstract modified)