Essence of Decision

Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis is an analysis, by political scientist Graham T. Allison, of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Allison used the crisis as a case study for future studies into governmental decision-making. The book became the founding study of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and in doing so revolutionized the field of international relations. Allison originally published the book in 1971. In 1999, because of new materials available , he rewrote the book with Philip Zelikow. The title is based on a speech by John F. Kennedy, in which he said, "The... essence of ultimate decision remains impenetrable to the observer - often, indeed, to the decider himself." When he first wrote the book, Allison contended that political science and the study of international relations were saturated with rational expectations theories inherited from the field of economics. Under such a view, the actions of states are analyzed by assuming that nations consider all options and act rationally to maximize their utility.
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