Focuses on politics within a government and suggests that the product is the result of bargaining games between these power actors. There are many things to consider, such as the weight of each player's interests and what shapes their perceptions. This includes their relative power and bargaining skills. For example, Robert Kennedy, despite being attorney general, often handled other departmental business. He had more influence than Vice President LBJ and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. No major national security issue was resolved without involving Robert Kennedy in the process. Kennedy even used Robert to monitor executive committee meetings and eventually to meet with the Soviet ambassador – a critical moment in the Cuban Missile Crisis. This model suggests that outcomes are shaped by interaction and competing preferences. This is true regarding the process of uncovering the Cuban Missile Crisis. CIA Director McCone has called for increased aerial surveillance over Cuba many times. However, he has consistently been met with concern and opposition by Secretary of State Dean Rusk. This indicates that if there had not been a "tug of war" (p338,zelkow) between McCone and Rusk, the discovery of the missiles would have occurred sooner and would have had a significant impact on the outcome of the battle.