This study of the 1975 US-USSR Grain Agreement negotiations illuminates the parameters and constraints faced by policy makers in a democratic, pluralistic political system. The author investigates the interaction between the formulation and implementation of a policy, suggesting that who is seen as responsible for a policy is often as important as its content. He also shows how the pluralistic nature of the American polity can enable well-organized constituencies to pressure policy makers successfully for precise commitments regarding their future actions, and how this can actually limit the extent of governmental leverage in negotiations.