Thomas Preston

Understanding and Evaluating Bureaucratic Politics: The Nexus Between Political Leaders and Advisory

Bureaucratic politics—for example, the “political” interaction between individuals and organizations in the executive branch of government—is a potentially significant force affecting the course and outcomes of governmental policymaking processes. In this article, an empirical and normative model and operationalization of bureaucratic politics is developed, treating it as a variable rather than as an immutable (and by definition problematic) property of policy decision-making. A conceptual model, linking the nature and intensity of bureaucratic politics in advisory systems to the characteristics of the political leaders served by them, is also developed. On the basis of earlier studies of presidential leadership (e.g., Preston, 1996), the leaders need for power, cognitive complexity, and prior policy experience/expertise are hypothesized to affect the organization and operation of the advisory system in terms of bureaucratic politics. Using Hermanns (1983) Personality Assessment-at-a-Distance (PAD) coding technique, theoretical assertions are illustrated in a detailed case study of two critical episodes in U.S. decision-making in the conduct of the Vietnam war in 1965 and 1968.

Simulating US Foreign Policy Crises: Uses and Limits in Education and Training

Crisis policy simulations can provide instructors with valuable tools for (1) increasing student awareness of the complexities of the real-life policy environment; (2) enhancing their empathy for the challenges faced by actual policymakers; and (3) providing vivid illustrations of difficult theoretical concepts associated with individual or group decision making and crisis management. This article explores the value of classroom simulations and the requirements for their successful construction and use.