ABSTRACT
Dwight D. Eisenhower's National Security Council system was organized to satisfy the President's desire for systematic presentation of alternative viewpoints. Dillon Anderson, who served as Eisenhower's second Special Assistant for National Security Affairs, suggests that the broad experience and strong convictions of Council members combined to produce balanced, broad-ranging discussions incorporating a multiplicity of viewpoints and ideas. Eisenhower's insistence on consulting Congress stemmed from his constitutional interpretation that the legislature must share in any decision to commit American troops or initiate military action abroad. Eisenhower approved Dulles' proposal, and the Record of Action incorporated the more flexible language as government policy. Eisenhower was particularly concerned that improved second-generation Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles would be available in the not-so-distant future, making the purchase of more first-generation missiles a questionable investment. Eisenhower found the National Security Council to be an invaluable forum for debate and deliberation, not only in formulating long-term foreign policy objectives, but also in responding to international crises.
