Preview

Sop Cause and Effect

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
503 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sop Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect Essay

The bureaucratic decision-making process is an important component of foreign policy. The tendency of bureaucracies toward relying on standard operating procedures has had a negative impact on the outcome of foreign policy. A tendency toward relying on standard operating procedures is often the consequence of limited information, time, and resources. The bureaucracy is responsible for collecting and drawing together information, forming proposals, and making foreign policy. Within different agencies there exists a hierarchical organization that is necessary for the division of labor. SOPs have been developed from past events and are formed into pre-arranged responses. SOPs are used to simplify coordination within bureaus. A negative impact as a result of relying on SOPs is the misapplication with a particular situation. Once implemented, the standard operating procedures tends to be inflexible. The reliance on SOPs during the Cuban Missile Crisis is an example of poor foreign policy decision making during a time of crisis. With the use of different deception tactics, Soviet missiles were sent to Cuba in secrecy. Upon the arrival in Cuba, the Soviets failed to properly camouflage the missiles, their soldiers, and the barracks stationed in Cuba. The Soviets lack of secrecy and security is due to the bureaucracy adhering to and the misapplication of SOPs. The standard operating procedures for construction of nuclear missile sites failed to include camouflage which would disguise their activities on foreign territory. The Soviets adhered to procedures at their Cuban barracks exactly as they would in the Soviet Union. These are some of the factors that contributed to the United States government's realization that Soviet missiles had been delivered to Cuba by the Soviets. The United States outcome of foreign policy had been negatively impacted as well because of their reliance on SOPs during the crisis. The United States

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    2. Black, Eric and Staff Writer. "Containment // Policy Directive from 1950 Still Guides our Dealings with the Soviet Union." Star Tribune, Aug 15, 1988. http://ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/417922174?accountid=13631.…

    • 2308 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    The decision to stay neutral impacted the United States economy. The United States was still enduring an economic depression during the 1930s, and the outbreak in Europe helped…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Cuban Missile Crisis took place in the 1960’s not long after President John F. Kennedy’s failure in the Bay of Pigs. In October of 62’ photographs of Soviet missiles were taken from planes flying over Cuban soil. This put Americans on the edge of their seat, not prepared for another war. Kennedy already looking like a “soft president” states to the public he must take action. In his speech he states seven steps that will be taken. Any of which are not followed peacefully, will be consider an attack on the United States.…

    • 363 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dr. Strangelove Notes

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages

    On the Cuban Missile Crisis, “The situation would be even graver if there were any LeMay counterparts on the Soviet side. Each side might increase its alert levels to protect its forces, but the other side would see it as preparation for war and be increasingly tempted to launch a preemptive strike (page 5)”…

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Soviet Union’s nuclear bombs were extremely inferior to America’s and while America’s could reach them from Turkey the Soviet Union's only hope was to place bombs in the nearest communist country to the United States, this being Cuba. The Soviet Union’s leader, Nikita Khrushchev, saw the opportunity to make a deal with Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, in order to keep America off their back by placing nuclear bomb construction sites in Cuba. The Cuban Missile crisis was partially sparked because of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion by America in order to overthrow the communist Castro who saw the placement of nuclear bombs as a form of protection against more American invasions. Luckily, during a surveillance fly over America found these sights and the Cuban Missile crisis began. Kennedy decided to alert the American people to a blockade surrounding Cuba’s nuclear bomb construction sites, effectively cutting them off from USSR supplies.…

    • 1031 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In October of 1962, John F. Kennedy was faced with the first crisis of his administration. The Soviets were building nuclear missile sites on Cuba, and one of JFK’s first actions was to give his famous Cuban Missile Crisis speech on October 22, 1962. JFK uses repetition, ethos, and pathos to discredit the USSR’s international standing in the world. JFK give his speech to show the people that the government has their best interests at heart. He tells the citizens about what the government has learned and what they intend to do about it. To reassure the people of the US, he describes what he has done so far, and what he plans to do in the future. In the main part of the speech, JFK turns to what the Soviets have done and the implications of this. He does this to unify the country against the Soviets. To unify them he explains how the Soviets have endangered everyone who lives in the western hemisphere, and how this has never been done before. He reinforces this by repeatedly stating that what the Soviets have said are lies. To further discredit the Soviets he shows their disregard for international agreements and for the people living in the western hemisphere.…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    For thirteen days in October of 1962, the world lingered on the verge of a nuclear conflict of unparalleled proportions. In the eyes of those involved with the crisis every action seemed to flirt with disaster and beckon doomsday. The United States discovered the presence of Soviet missile silos in Cuba, capable of launching nuclear-tipped weaponry that could target much of the Eastern United States. President John F. Kennedy, under pressure from his advisors chose to order a naval “quarantine” of Cuba. He gambled that this maneuver would force the Soviets to end their missile shipments to Cuba yet not provoke the USSR to respond militarily. The world waited on edge as the Soviets and Americans drew closer to confrontation, hoping this…

    • 2042 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Papp, Daniel S., Loch K. Johnson, and John E. Endicott. American Foreign Policy: History, Politics, and Policy. New York: Pearson Longman, 2005. Print.…

    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    On October 16th, 1962, both the United States and the Soviet Union partook in a thirteen-day impasse concerning the construction of nuclear missile sites located in Cuba, merely 90 miles away from the coast of Florida, known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Realizing exactly how close this installation was, President Kennedy and the Executive Community, a group of fifteen members meant to advise the president and commonly recognized as Excomm, convened for the next twelve days in hopes to solve the dilemma at hand.…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The JFK Era

    • 1279 Words
    • 6 Pages

    On October 14, 1962, CIA U-2 spy planes took photographs in Cuba of intermediate-range ballistic missile sites under construction by the Soviets in previous months. This quote was taken directly from the first announcement Kennedy made regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis: “This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet military build-up on the island of Cuba. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive Missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere.” The photos were shown to Kennedy on October 16, 1962, and a consensus was reached that the missiles were offensive in nature and thus posed an immediate nuclear threat to our country, and possibly the ones surrounding. If the U.S. attacked the sites, it might lead to nuclear war with the U.S.S.R., but if the U.S. did nothing, it would be faced with the increased threat from close range nuclear weapons. More than one third of the members of the NSC favored an unannounced air assault on the missile sites. But, there could be no assurance from the Council that the assault would be 100% effective. Kennedy decided on a naval quarantine, and on October 22nd dispatched a…

    • 1279 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Because of the extreme economic struggle of the Great Depression during the 1930s, the United States tried its hardest to stay out of the battles and tensions of World War II. Many Americans were very concerned about the internal issues happening rather than the rising dangers and crumbling democracies around them as the war unfolded. However, as the conditions continued to worsen and even the strongest of countries began to fall, attention finally turned towards the issue of foreign affairs The American foreign policy changed throughout the early to mid twentieth century as Americans acknowledged the rising threat of fascism in Europe and the endangerment of American democracy, ending the ideal of isolationism and began the era of interventionism.…

    • 653 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Prospectus Example

    • 1668 Words
    • 7 Pages

    nuclear war and spare them the effects of radioactivity. In my pre college studies, I…

    • 1668 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Weapons of Destruction

    • 2461 Words
    • 10 Pages

    This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet military buildup on the island of Cuba. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere.…

    • 2461 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cold War Dbq

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages

    After the US supported Bay of Pigs mission attempted and failed to invade and change the political regime in Cuba, the Soviet Union began secretly shipping troops, missiles, and nuclear warheads to their new political allies. In the months that would follow US spy planes would begin to collect evidence of nuclear missile sites being swiftly set up Cuba. As depicted in Document D the United States responded to this threat by setting up a quarantine around Cuba right as the nuclear missiles became operational. In response to the quarantine the Soviet Union began to remove their missiles from Cuba while the United States began doing the same in Turkey. Through the success of the the quarantine and the United States hushed agreement with the Soviet Union about missile removal in Cuba and Turkey the US was able to contain communism in…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    United States foreign policy has always been characterized by a commitment to free trade, protection of American interests, and a concern for human rights. Our founding fathers, specifically George Washington, are responsible for much of the influence regarding foreign policy after their time period and up to the present day. Washington, in his Farewell Address, warned the country to stay out of permanent foreign entanglements and to stay neutral. The United States stayed faithful to Washington’s warnings for about 125 years. But, when the age of Imperialism hit, the country was forced to intervene to prevent other countries from rising up and becoming world powers. The atrocities of imperialism caused something that America will always regret; The First World War. After the war, the United States’ foreign policy changed from all out intervention to almost complete isolation, similar to what George Washington suggested. After the Second World War, American foreign policy back once again to intervention to try and make the world a better and more peaceful place. In comparison, each foreign policy have nearly no similarities, but a wealth of differences.…

    • 1973 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays