Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and FiascoesGroupthink - the psychological drive for consensus at any cost that suppresses disagreement and prevents the appraisal of alternatives in cohesive decision-making groups. In the first edition (Victims of groupthink), Iriving L. Janis showed how this phenomenon contributed to some of the major U.S. foreign policy fiascos of recent decades: the Korean War stalemate, the escalation of the Vietnam War, the failure to be prepared for the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the Bay of Pigs blunder. He also examined cases, such as the handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the formulation of the Marshall Plan, where groupthink was avoided. Here, in this revised and expanded edition, Janis applies his hypothesis to the Watergate cover-up, portraying in detail how groupthink helped to put the participants on a disastrous couurse and keep them there. In addition, he presents some fresh ideas on how and why groupthink occurs and offers suggestions for avoiding it. |
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Page 74
intercepted Japanese messages , in the words of Herbert Feis , " gave an almost
daylight picture of the mind of the Japanese government . ” The historian Roberta
Wohlstetter has described the enormous amount of information about ...
intercepted Japanese messages , in the words of Herbert Feis , " gave an almost
daylight picture of the mind of the Japanese government . ” The historian Roberta
Wohlstetter has described the enormous amount of information about ...
Page 84
It was apparent that Japan was getting ready to take some drastic military
counteraction to nullify the blockade . But the ... Had the members of the Navy
group attempted to look at the situation through Japanese eyes , instead of
relying on a ...
It was apparent that Japan was getting ready to take some drastic military
counteraction to nullify the blockade . But the ... Had the members of the Navy
group attempted to look at the situation through Japanese eyes , instead of
relying on a ...
Page 287
5-70 ) : November 16 , 1941 : United States naval combat intelligence in Hawaii
reported losing track of Japanese aircraft carriers . ( All six of them were
proceeding toward Hawaii for the planned attack on Pearl Harbor . ) From this
time on ...
5-70 ) : November 16 , 1941 : United States naval combat intelligence in Hawaii
reported losing track of Japanese aircraft carriers . ( All six of them were
proceeding toward Hawaii for the planned attack on Pearl Harbor . ) From this
time on ...
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Contents
The Wrong | 3 |
The Making of the Marshall Plan | 159 |
How Clever | 198 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
accepted according action administration Admiral advisers alternative American appears asked assumptions attack avoid Bay of Pigs become called Chiefs cohesive Committee concerning consensus consequences continued course cover-up crisis critical Cuba Cuban danger Dean decision decision-making Defense deliberations Department direct discussion effect errors evidence example Executive expected fact factors feel fiasco forces give going groupthink Haldeman invasion involved issues Japanese Johnson judgment Kennedy leader leading major March meetings military missile moral Nixon norms North objections officers operation participants Pearl Harbor policy-making political position possible present President pressures probably problem procedures proposed questions responsible result risks role says Secretary seems Senator shared social Soviet staff stress strong suggested thinking threat tion transcripts Truman United UNIVERSITY Vietnam warning Watergate White House