Essence of Decision Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis

by Allison, Graham T.; Zelikow, Philip

• ISBN13: 9780321013491
• ISBN10: 0321013492
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-01-19
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

One of the most influental political science works written in the post World War II era, the original edition of Essence of Decisionis a unique and fascinating examination of the pivotal event of the cold Cold War. Not simply revised, but completely re-written, the Second Edition of this classic text is a fresh reinterpretation of the theories and events surrounding the Cuban Missle Crisis, incorporating all new information from the Kennedy tapes and recently declassified Soviet files. Essence of DecisionSecond Edition, is a vivid look at decision-making under pressure and is the only single volume work that attempts to answer the enduring question: how should citizens understand the actions of their government?

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Introduction	1	(12)
Model I: The Rational Actor	13	(64)
A Rigorous Model of Action	16	(7)
A Rational Actor Paradigm	23	(3)
The Classical Model Illustrated	26	(22)
Classical Realism.
Neorealism (Structural Realism).
International Institutionalism.
Liberalism.
Strategy, War, and Rational Choice.
Variants and Uses of the Classical Model	48	(29)
The Cuban Missile Crisis: A First Cut	77	(66)
Why Did the Soviet Union Decide to Place Offensive Missile in Cuba?	78	(31)
Hypothesis 1: Cuban Defense.
Hypothesis 2: Cold War Politics.
Hypothesis 3: Missile Power.
Hypothesis 4: Berlin---Win, Trade, or Trap.
Why Did the United States Respond to the Missile Deployment with a Blockade?	109	(12)
Alternative 1: Do Nothing.
Alternative 2: Diplomatic Pressures.
Alternative 3: A Secret Approach to Castro.
Alternative 4: Invasion.
Alternative 5: Air Strike.
Alternative 6: Blockade.
Why Did the Soviet Union Withdraw the Missiles?	121	(22)
Model II: Organizational Behavior	143	(54)
Organizational Logic and Efficiency	147	(6)
Organizational Logic and Organizational Culture	153	(5)
Interactive Complexity	158	(2)
NASA: Hero and Goat	160	(3)
Organizational Behavior Paradigm	163	(34)
The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Second Cut	197	(58)
Deployment of Soviet Missiles in Cuba	201	(16)
The Soviet Build-up in Detail.
Organizational Implementation.
Imposition of a U.S. Blockade of Cuba	217	(19)
Organizational Intelligence.
Organizational Options.
Organizational Implementation.
The Withdrawal of Soviet Missiles from Cuba	236	(19)
Model III: Governmental Politics	255	(70)
The Governmental Politics Model Illustrated	258	(5)
Separated Institutions Sharing Power.
The Power to Persuade.
Bargaining According to the Processes.
Power Equals Impact on Outcome.
Intranational and International Relations.
Group Processes and Their Effects on Choices and Action	263	(31)
Better Decision.
The ``Agency'' Problem: Principals, Agents, and Players.
Participants: Who Plays?
Decision Rules.
Framing Issues and Setting Agendas.
Groupthink.
Complexity of Joint Action.
A Governmental Politics Paradigm	294	(31)
The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Third Cut	325	(54)
The Imposition of a Blockade by the United States	329	(18)
The Politics of Discovery.
The Politics of Choice.
Soviet Withdrawal of the Missiles from Cuba	347	(32)
Soviets Kill an American U-2 Pilot.
The President and the Chairman.
The ``Deal'': Resolving the Turkish Problem.
The ``Deal'': Resolving the Cuban Problem.
Conclusion	379	(29)
Summing Up: Differences in Interpretation	379	(6)
Summing Up: Different Answers or Different Questions?	385	(4)
Where Do We Go from Here?	389	(19)
Index	408