Case #280.0

CIA to 1961

Publication Date: January 1, 1980
Free
Current Stock:

Educator Access

A review copy of this case is available free of charge to educators and trainers. Please create an account or sign in to gain access to this material.

Permission to Reprint

Each purchase of this product entitles the buyer to one digital file and use. If you intend to distribute, teach, or share this item, you must purchase permission for each individual who will be given access. Learn more about purchasing permission to reprint.

Abstract:
This case traces the organizational history of the Central Intelligence Agency from its establishment after World War II to its role in the Bay of Pigs invasion. It outlines key factors that served to shape the CIA's institutional identity and point of view, paying particular attention to the development and operational effect of the split in the agency between intelligence gathering and covert operations. The case also briefly examines CIA Director Allen Dulles' gospel of compartmentalization-information tightly restricted by "the need to know"--which became standard operating procedure within the agency. This case was designed for use in tandem with Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs (C14-80-279.0) as an exercise in "organizational placement." This method attempts to identify an organization's viewpoint by arraying publicized "events" in an agency's history and less publicized details of structure and procedure on a time line. This chronology of the organization's development can then be used to understand what shapes the incentives and routines of its personnel.

Other Details

Teaching Plan:
Available with Educator Access
Case Author:
Joshua L. Rosenbloom
Faculty Lead:
Melanie Billings-Yun and Ernest R. May
Pages (incl. exhibits):
27
Setting:
United States
Language:
English
Funding Source:
National Endowment for the Humanities