Case 270 - A Madman's Appetite--Operation Menu: The Nixon Administration and the Secret Bombing in Cambodia

Baird, Tara and Lynn M. Kuzma

This case study examines the Nixon administration’s 1969 decision to bomb Cambodia in a covert operation designed to destroy North Vietnamese sanctuaries. This case can be used to explore how presidential personality characteristics affect the decision-making process; examine the structure and role of the National Security Council; and stimulate discussion concerning the role of public opinion, the power of the president, and secrecy in foreign policy decision-making.