Bureaucracies play an important role in foreign policy formulation according to the bureaucratic politics model. They generate the information and policy alternatives presented to policymakers. Bureaucracies also frame issues according to their interests and perspectives. Additionally, bureaucracies influence policy through negotiating their positions within the power structures of government. Allison applied this model to explain the Cuban Missile Crisis as the result of bargaining between government actors rather than a unified decision. However, critics argue it obscures the president's control over policy and implementation.

1. Role of Bureaucracy
in formulation of
foreign policy

2. Introduction
• Decision making in foreign policy analysis tends to explain
the approach to the study of international politics and
explains why and how states behave the way they behave in
the international arena. However, in the quest for decision
making, there are actors involved in which one of the actors
is the state bureaucracy.
• “National bureaucracies have been at the heart of foreign
policy analysis” (Steve Smith, 2008).

3. Interpretation of terms
• Foreign policy is a strategy or
combination of strategies carefully
formulated by one state for maintaining
relationship with other states and non
state actors for protection and promotion
of national interests.
Foreign
policy

4. Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy is any large-scale organization of appointed
officials whose primary function is to implement the
policies of the decision makers. It is a rational system or
organized structure designed to permit the efficient and
effective execution of public policy. (Tasie, 1997).

5. Models of foreign policy making
The Rational model
Bureaucratic/organizational model
Pluralist model
Psychological/Psychoanalytical model

6. Bureaucracies and foreign policy
• Historical background
 In the early 1960s Huntington, Crozier, Schilling and his
colleagues became interested in the impact of bureaucracies on
foreign policy.
 This developing of bureaucratic politics theory provides empirical
insights into how the administrative structures of government
affect foreign policy.

7. Allison Theory of Bureaucratic politics
In 1970 Allison and his followers developed the empirical insights in to
theory.
Allison challenges what he calls the “Rational policy model” which
attempts to understand happenings as the more or less purposive acts of
unified national government.
Allison and his followers argue that although in many instances the
rational policy model may be useful, but it neglects the role of bureaucracy
in determining foreign policy.

8. He proposed two alternative models Viz.
Organizational process model or Model II
Model II is claiming that governmental agencies with semi- autonomous
power having a interest in the process of decision making.
Bureaucratic Politics model or Model III
Model III focuses attention on the politics inside a government (Allison, 1999).
Policies are characterized neither by a unitary actor nor as an organizational
output but rather a result of serious bargaining games among the players in
the national government.

9.  The explanatory power of model II proved to be limited, particularly
in relation to foreign policy change and innovation.
 The critics claimed that it was not clear whether the model III was
separate from or merely an extension of Model II.
 Eventually the organizational model was collapsed into BPM

10. Role of Bureaucracy in formulation of
Foreign policy
According to Bureaucratic Politics Model Bureaucracy’s role is given hereunder.
1. Bureaucrats generate outputs that structure the situation in policy
makers take decisions.
what outputs include?
 The information bureaucracies provide to government.
 The foreign policy alternatives presented for government to choose for.
 And standard operating procedures (SOPs) which shape how foreign policy decisions ultimately
are implemented.

11. Role of Bureaucracy in formulation of
Foreign policy
2. Bureaucracies tend to develop common attitudes and shared
images. These attitudes and shared play a role in framing how a
particular foreign policy issue or event is perceived by foreign
policy makers.
For example, when considering a security issue the treasury
tends to focus on the budgetary implications, the department
of defense on repercussions for national security.

12. Role of Bureaucracy in formulation of
Foreign policy
3. Bureaucracies also derive influence over foreign policy from
their positions in the power-sharing structure comprising state and
government in which these large organizations and political actors
have individual interests.

13. CASE STUDY : CUBAN MISSILE
CRISIS
• Bureaucratic politics was first applied to the Cuban missile crisis.
• Allison explained the Cuba Missile Crises of October 1962 between United
State of America and the Soviet Union in three models.
• Model I explains governmental action as a result of a monolithic and unified
decision of the state as the sole foreign policy decision maker and taker for the
state.
• Model II explains the decision of the state as an organizational output. It
explores the nature of organizations based on their Standard Operational
Procedures.

14. CASE STUDY : CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
• Model III focuses attention on the politics inside a government (Allison, 1999).
• Policies are characterized neither by a unitary actor nor as an organizational output
but rather a result of serious bargaining games among the players in the national
government.
• Allison’s argument is that there can’t be a governmental decision without some
debates or consultations.
• In the Model III, the reality of the crisis, the American Blockade of Cuba and the
withdrawal of Soviet missiles from Cuba summarizes it all. It was a long process of
debate and arguments before President Kennedy could push up a decision as to how
to deal with the missiles planted in Cuba by the Soviet forces which is a danger in
view for America.

15. Initial critiques
• By Stephen Krasner
• The BPM is misleading as it obscures the president’s power in making and
implementing the foreign policy.
• The US president can make choices and control the bureaucracies at their
disposal particularly in the foreign policy matters.
• The BPM does not account accurately for how and to what extent
bureaucracies during the process of implementation of will subvert the
government’s foreign policy intent.
• The BPM methodology is also criticized for its over reliance on the ‘game’
metaphor.

16. Conclusion
To conclude it is to say that bureaucracy is an important institution of the state
whose functions have been primarily policy execution, however, the influence
of bureaucracy had gone beyond the execution of policies alone, and it has
pervaded through the policy formulation process and the policy itself.
Therefore, the role of bureaucracy is far more than just the implementation of
foreign policy but rather it remains one of the key actors involved in the
making of the policy through dialogue, debate, conflict and compromise.