Kennedy, Johnson, and Policy toward China: Testing the Importance of the President in Foreign Policy Decision Making

While scholars may be pleased with parsimonious models of the presidency in which institutional variables determine presidents' decision-making structures, veteran policy makers argue that scholars miss the essence of decision: people make decisions. This article tests the impact of the president as a variable. The transition from Kennedy to Johnson is a case where all variables remained the same, except the occupant of the Oval Office. Study of the impact of a new president on decision making toward China helps define the influence of both institutional and presidential- centered variables as well as the importance of senior presidential advisors