THE NATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANT AND THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF, 1947-1984: FOREIGN POLICY IMPLICATIONS (UNITED STATES, AIDES, PRESIDENT)

The relationships between the national security assistant and the president's political advisers have been crucial to the integration of foreign policy with domestic politics. It is often alleged that intrigue and power-struggle characterize the president's "inner-circle," sometimes to the detriment of policy coherence. This dissertation compares these relationships and their apparent policy consequences from 1947-1984. In addition to memoirs and periodicals, staff memoranda, oral histories, and meeting minutes at the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson presidential libraries, and the National Archives, were consulted. Clarification of written material was possible, and further information was collected, by conducting interviews with forty-three former senior White House staff members, some on numerous occasions. This dissertation identifies the extent to which political aides controlled the national security assistant's access to, and affected his influence on, the president; compares the rigidity with which presidents delineated domestic political and foreign policy responsibilities among the staff; and, describes the evolution of staff relations. Contrary to conventional belief these relationships have generally been cordial and cooperative although there has been periodic, issue-oriented friction. When there was incongruency between perceived diplomatic imperatives and domestic sentiment, friction sometimes resulted, especially when staff responsibilities were delineated rigidly. This friction, on occasion, caused the national security assistant to retain a tight hold on sensitive information, thereby preventing the other aides from injecting domestic political considerations during the decisionmaking process. Friction also tended to develop when the national security assistant was an extensive diplomatic operative and foreign policy spokesman. These two responsibilities made the assistant a potential lightning-rod for criticism about domestically unpopular foreign policies. Furthermore, when the assistant became popular through these activities, political aides sought to ensure that his popularity did not detract from the president's popularity. Therefore, although intra-White House relationships are normally cordial and cooperative, the conditions under which they tend to become contentious are relatively easy to identify. Friction among the staff can have a detrimental impact on foreign policy coherence.