In a study of twentieth-century U.S. foreign policy, John Stoessinger was struck by how few individuals made crucial decision shaping its direction. He found that “movers” (exceptional individuals who for better or worse not only find turning points in history but help create them) have been far outnumbered by “players” (individuals caught up in the flow of events who respond in a standard and predictable fashion). One explanation for this imbalance is that there may exist relatively few situations where the personal characteristics of the policy maker are important for explaining policy