The Limits of Presidential Decision Making

Executive decisions are not made by the president alone. There are a number of other government officials with whom he consults before implementing policy. Because one person simply cannot have intimate knowledge of all policy areas, the president relies on a number of advisors and officials to provide him knowledge and advice. It is inevitable that there will be conflict amongst those individuals that advise the president; thus, it oftentimes difficult for the president to reach a final verdict. Concepts such as Groupthink and bureaucratic politics further complicate presidential decisions.

Groupthink "refers to the conformist thinking that may result when people are intensely involved in small, cohesive decision-making groups, such as are formed during crisis situations" (Edwards & Wayne 236). These urgent situations catalyze the need for agreement and swift action amongst advisors, and in order to obtain this outcome it is usually easier to go along with the group instead of opposing it. When the president gets an opinion from a group that does not necessarily reflect how all of the participants feel and the outcome that is best for the situation.

The texts cites the Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961 during the Kennedy as an example of Groupthink gone horribly wrong. Bureaucratic politics also affect the president's decision making. Much of his information is received from the bureaucracy, so it very critical to his ultimate choices. Clearly the bureaucracy is not a unbiased forum, and there tends to be a sense of homgeny within the divisions. Not many of the bureaucrats have knowledge of areas other than their field of expertise so their opinions tend to be rather narrow. However, they are not immune to outside influences, "which encourage the parochial views amongst bureaucrats" (Edwards & Wayne 240).

"Within most organizations, there is a dominant view of the essence of the organization's mission and of the attitudes, skills, and experience that employees should have to carry it out" (Edwards & Wayne 241). This gives rise to a certain set of expectations, along with a distinct hierarchy. What makes this hierarchy so important is that information rises from the bottom to the top. Along the way, officials have the option to determine what information should go forward. "Subordinates sometimes distort facts by not reporting those that indicate danger" (Edwards & Wayne 245). A contemporary instance of this is information that was witheld regarding the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

For a variety of reasons, the president may not receive the entirety of information he needs to make the best decision. Whether it is pieces of the puzzle that are missing, biased facts, or a choice made under pressure, there are many factors that can create problems for the president. A wise president consults a variety of sources and considers all facts given to him by trusted officials, who in turn rely on their staff to be forthcoming.

WORKS CITED:

Edwards, George C & Wayne, Stephen J. Presidential Leadership. Thomson Wadsworth: Belmont, CA. 2006.