ArticleslgStudy

physics

Presidential Directive 59

Presidential Directive 59 is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Presidential Directive 59 rather than just read about it. In short: Presidential Directive 59 (PD-59) was a top secret document titled "Nuclear Weapons Employment Policy" prepared by the Carter administration and dated 25 July 1980 that contained plans for carrying out an extended nuclear war. Carter's National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski described it as an addition to National Security Decision Memorandum 242, a Nixon administration document that it superseded.

Presidential Directive 59 — main illustration
Presidential Directive 59 — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Presidential Directive 59 belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Presidential Directive 59 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Presidential Directive 59 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Presidential Directive 59 (PD-59) was a top secret document titled "Nuclear Weapons Employment Policy" prepared by the Carter administration and dated 25 July 1980 that contained plans for carrying out an extended nuclear war. Carter's National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski described it as an addition to National Security Decision Memorandum 242, a Nixon administration document that it superseded. Parts of its contents were leaked shortly after its creation, causing a public furore about nuclear escalation. A redacted version of PD-59 has since been declassified and released publicly.

References

Illustrations

Presidential Directive 59: Declassified text of PD-59, heavily redacted
Declassified text of PD-59, heavily redacted

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Presidential Directive 59

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Presidential Directive 59 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Presidential Directive 59 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Presidential Directive 59 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Presidential Directive 59

In research
Presidential Directive 59 appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Presidential Directive 59 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Presidential Directive 59 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1980 in the United States, Nuclear weapons policy, United States government stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Presidential Directive 59 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Presidential Directive 59 in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Presidential Directive 59 means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Presidential Directive 59 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Presidential Directive 59 in simple terms?

Presidential Directive 59 (PD-59) was a top secret document titled "Nuclear Weapons Employment Policy" prepared by the Carter administration and dated 25 July 1980 that contained plans for carrying out an extended nuclear war. Carter's National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski described it as a…

Why does Presidential Directive 59 matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Presidential Directive 59?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Presidential Directive 59.

Tags

  • 1980 in the United States
  • Nuclear weapons policy
  • United States government stubs

Keep exploring