Evening star., 1963-05-25
By THEODORE c. sORENsEN
Special Counsel to the President

The reason is that the very
intensity of that experts study
may prevent him from seeing
the broader, more practical
perspective which must govern
public policy.
Thus the atomic scientist,
discussing new tests, may think
largely in terms of his own
laboratory. The career diplo-
mat, discussing an Asian re-
volt, may think largely in
terms of his own post. The
professional economist, in urg-
ing lower farm price supports,
may think more in terms of
his academic colleagues than
OF the next presidential elec-
ton.
But not all experts recognize
the limits of their political
sagacity; and they do not hesi-
tate to pronounce with a great
air of authority broad policy
recommendations in their own
field land sometimes all fields)
President Must AnaIyze
Any President would be prop
erly impressed by their SEEM
ing command of the complex;
but the Presidents own COM
mon sense, his own under
standing of the Congress and
the country. his own balanc-
ing OF prioritieS, his own ability
to analyze and generalize and
simplify, are more essential in
reaching the right decision
than all the specialized jargon
and inStitutionalized traditions
Of the professional elite.
The trained navigator, it has
been rightly said, is essential
to the conduct of a voyage;
but his Judgment is not su-
perior on such matters as
where it should go or whether
1t should be taken at all.
Expert predictions are likely
to be even more tenuous than
expert policy judgments-par-
ticularly in an age when only
the unpredictable seems to
happen.
Last summer most of the
top economists in government
business, and academic life
thought it likely that a reces-
sion would follow the stock
market slide - at least be-
fore the SHOWS melted" was the
cautious forecast by one econ
omist from a cold Northern
State. But. instead, this years
thaw brought with it new lev
els of production - and, nat
urally, a new set of predic-
tionS.
Last fall most specialists in
Soviet affairs believed that
long-range Soviet missiles.
with their loosely guarded
electronics systems, would nev-
er be stationed on the uncer-
tain island of Cuba, nearly g.
600 miles away from Soviet
soil and supplies. Nevertheless,
each rumor to this effect was
checked out; increasing ru-
mors brought increased sur
veillance: and when, finally,
the unexpected did happen,
this did not diminish the
Presidents respect for these
servants. 1t merely demon
strated once again that the
only infallible experts are those
whose forecasts have never
been tested.
Cabinet Advisers
In short, a cabinet of poll
ticians and policy-makers is
better than a cabinet of ex-
perts. But a President will also
weigh with care the advice of
each cabinet official. For the
latter is also bound by inher-
ent limitations. He was not
necessarily selected for the
Presidents confidence in his
judgment alone - considera-
tions Of politics, geography,
public esteem and interest
group pressures may also have
played a part, as we'll as his
skill In administration.
Moreover. each department
has its own clientele and point
OF view, its own experts and
bureaucratic interests. It's own
relations with the Congress
and certain subcommittee, It's
own statutory authority. OBJ
jectives and standards OF sue
cess. No cabinet member is free
TO ignore all this without inn
pairing the morale and effici-
ency OF his department, his
standing therein and his rela-
tions with the powerful inter-
est groups and Congressmen
who consider II partly their
own.
The President may ask for a
Secretary's best Judgment
apart from the Departments
views - but In the mind Of the
average Secretary land there
have been many notable ex-
ceptions) the two may be
hardly distinguishable.
Whether he is the captive
or the champion Of those in
terests makes no practical diff
ference. BY reflecting In his
advice TO the President his
agency's component bureaus,
some Of which he may not
even control. he increases both
his prestige within the depart
ment and his parochialism
without.
Bureaucratic parochialism