National policy for higher education in the United States and England is examined with respect to provision of highly qualified manpower. The context is set by study of the different environments within which American and English higher education take place. The background is amplified into a review of literature on manpower, government and higher education. Four agencies concerned with manpower policies were selected in two centers of national government, Washington, D.C. and London. Each was analyzed in terms of the contribution made to decision making and policy formulation. American and British approaches to national agencies, and theoretical implications for educational planning. Findings emphasize the importance of provision of trained manpower through higher education to the economy, identify shortages of mechanisms to incorporate study of common problems, and pinpoint the need for intellectual frameworks for analysis. Stimulating flexibility of response to changing labor market demands is delineated national center by the other would contribute to greater understanding of the interactions between manpower, higher education and government.