43:, it describes "the bureaucratic technique of averting future accusations of policy error or wrongdoing by deflecting responsibility in advance". It often involves diffusing responsibility for one's actions as a form of insurance against possible future negative repercussions. It can denote a type of institutional risk-averse mentality which works against accountability and responsibility, often characterized by excessive paperwork and documentation, which can be harmful to the institution's overall effectiveness. The activity, sometimes seen as instinctive, is generally unnecessary towards accomplishing the goals of the organization, but helpful to protect a particular individual's career within it, and it can be seen as a type of
30:, is an activity done by individuals to protect themselves from possible subsequent criticism, legal penalties, or other repercussions, usually in a work-related or bureaucratic context. In one sense, it may be rightful steps to protect oneself properly while in a difficult situation, such as what steps to take to protect oneself after being fired. But, in a different sense, according to
95:, will occur regardless of any regulatory restrictions; still, to protect themselves and their banks against possible future sanctions, they may engage in CYA activity such as issuing unnecessary memos, obfuscating documents or conducting transactions discreetly, as ways to absolve themselves from possible future liability. The term is widely used in
202:
used the phrase "It is important not to read too much into any one monthly report" as a disclaimer on reports, and this was described as a CYA activity. The term has been applied in the medical profession to describe doctors who prescribe unnecessary medical tests for patients, to protect themselves
141:
There was silence. America has some of the most sophisticated alarm systems in the world. Her scientists have developed infrared sensors that can detect body heat from several miles above the earth’s surface; there are noise sensors that can hear a mouse breathe at a mile; there are movement and
183:
contained the phrase "information on this page was prepared to support an oral presentation and cannot be considered complete without the oral discussion"; this notice was later described as a "CYA notice" by information design specialist
79:, such as "cover your actions", "cover your rear end", or "cover your butt", according to Safire. The "cover your butt" variant has been used in various ways, such as by Minnesota health authorities urging citizens to undergo preventive
125:", (c) routes memos to and through as many other bureaucrats as possible, thereby spreading the risk of future criticism, and (d) "papers the file" with memoranda sometimes supporting and sometimes contradicting his or her position.
742:
Kyle Cheney and Andrew
Desiderio, "Gordon Sondland breaks with Trump in impeachment testimony: Trump's EU ambassador told House investigators he opposed the president's request to run Ukraine policy through Rudy Giuliani."
531:"Minnesota takes aim at colon cancer with cheeky new ad campaign: March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Commuters in the Twin Cities metro area are getting daily reminders of why they need to get tested"
462:
203:
against possible future lawsuits. The term has been used to describe a cultural tendency which works against accountability and risk-taking, such as in a war effort when generals engage in much
199:
83:, as a way to "cover" themselves medically from possible future cancer. In banking, officers tasked with making sure the bank follows proper regulatory procedures, called
731:... we could eliminate a hell of a lot of unnecessary day to day expenses ... visits of convenience and CYA tests for diseases there's no indication the patient has ....
75:, in the same sense that the word "ass" had come to reference the whole person. The word "ass" in the phrase is often replaced with more polite versions or other
222:(D-Calif.) told reporters that she was not sure whether lawmakers can trust Sondland's testimony to the House, saying his opening statement was "a lot of CYA."
694:
530:
230:
744:
420:... appropriate risk-taking diminished (the art of combat pursuit was almost lost in Vietnam), and a 'cover your ass' mentality took hold ....
357:
new sense has evolved that uses the word for the posterior as a synecdoche for the whole person ... the initials today are an anachronism ...
168:
155:
488:
This 'cover your ass' perspective pervades all of patrol work ... bureaucratic paranoia ... not take the initiative on the street ....
677:
613:
581:
474:
176:
569:
249:"You'll never take back our country with weakness, you have to show strength and you have to be strong," he admonished them, with
715:
146:
sensor system that operates in
Washington. It had already been in action for two hours and now was headed for peak performance.
807:
760:
433:
299:
630:
370:
278:
340:
122:
151:
175:
In another example, before the launch of the United States spaceship
Challenger which ended tragically with the
792:
404:
84:
44:
142:
light sensors to pick up a cigarette stub from inner space. But no system in the entire arsenal can match the
304:
501:
172:. Bush's response to the briefer was erroneously reported as: "All right. You've covered your ass, now."
273:
150:
Because these practices are so routine, a genuine warning can be mistaken for CYA behavior, causing a
159:
802:
635:
235:
92:
268:
113:
32:
673:
609:
577:
470:
134:
669:
699:
194:
88:
657:
215:
548:
797:
336:
180:
163:
40:
786:
662:
553:
263:
219:
375:
242:
211:
185:
100:
80:
189:
96:
72:
239:
76:
60:
317:
If you're handed a pink slip, ... make these moves to cover your butt ....
517:... the choice of 'cover your rear end' to define C.Y.A. by Senators ...
695:"The White House Uses the Exact Same CYA Sentence in Every Jobs Report"
253:
instructions to make themselves heard "peacefully and patriotically."
158:, with disastrous results. For example, in the summer preceding the
226:
210:
467:
A Culture of
Corruption: Changing an Australian Police Service
388:...cover-your-ass devotion to documentation and paperwork ....
117:), (b) follows up a meeting or phone call with a self-serving
229:'s inferred example regarding Trump's speech prior to the
63:
term, often replaced by the less-vulgar sounding initials
87:, may realize that certain dubious transactions, such as
166:
was briefed on a now-famous August 6, 2001, memo titled
16:
Phrase meaning to protect oneself from repercussions
661:
549:"Financing terrorism: Looking in the wrong places"
449:The instinct to CYA is a normal human emotion ....
245:juxtaposed two of Trump's statements as evidence:
207:activity which avoids taking real responsibility.
247:
139:
111:(a) likes to employ passive constructions (see
105:
398:
396:
8:
300:"Do This Immediately After Getting Laid Off"
179:, the final launch approval by rocket maker
631:"The Shadow War, In a Surprising New Light"
331:
329:
327:
325:
99:. Safire explained how the term is used in
231:2021 storming of the United States Capitol
218:, on October 16, 2019, Member of Congress
576:. Oxford University Press. p. 164.
761:"President Trump has committed treason"
290:
47:working against individual initiative.
369:Flanagan, Caitlin (November 1, 2007).
188:. In print, it can have the form of a
403:Ricks, Thomas E. (October 24, 2012).
7:
500:Safire, William (October 30, 1994).
341:"On Language: Glossary of a Scandal"
169:Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US
714:McArdle, Megan (February 8, 2010).
693:Weigel, David (September 6, 2012).
529:Kuruvilla, Carol (March 22, 2013).
716:"The Reality of Health Care Plans"
298:Miller, Korin (February 1, 2012).
14:
759:Milbank, Dana (January 6, 2021).
629:Gellman, Barton (June 20, 2006).
432:McArdle, Megan (April 10, 2009).
177:Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
434:"The Heroes of Financial Fraud"
1:
574:Safire's Political Dictionary
198:magazine suggested that the
668:. Graphics Press. pp.
826:
502:"On Language: On the Edge"
486:– via Google Books.
461:Dixon, David, ed. (1999).
123:memorandum of conversation
593:– via Google Books.
463:"A Culture of Corruption"
214:'s talks with Ambassador
59:is generally viewed as a
568:Safire, William (2008).
137:, CYA finds mention as:
45:institutional corruption
371:"No Girlfriend of Mine"
279:Principal–agent problem
255:
148:
127:
107:A bureaucrat adept at
808:Public administration
274:Plausible deniability
604:Forsyth, Frederick.
156:false-negative error
67:. Safire identified
664:Visual Explanations
636:The Washington Post
557:. October 20, 2005.
535:New York Daily News
339:(August 18, 1987).
236:The Washington Post
93:terrorist financing
85:compliance officers
506:The New York Times
347:. pp. 163–164
345:The New York Times
269:Mistakes were made
114:mistakes were made
33:The New York Times
469:. Hawkins Press.
405:"General Failure"
162:, U.S. president
135:Frederick Forsyth
815:
777:
776:
774:
772:
756:
750:
740:
734:
733:
728:
726:
711:
705:
704:
690:
684:
683:
667:
658:Tufte, Edward R.
654:
648:
647:
645:
643:
626:
620:
619:
601:
595:
594:
592:
590:
565:
559:
558:
545:
539:
538:
526:
520:
519:
514:
512:
497:
491:
490:
485:
483:
458:
452:
451:
446:
444:
429:
423:
422:
417:
415:
400:
391:
390:
385:
383:
366:
360:
359:
354:
352:
333:
320:
319:
314:
312:
295:
89:money laundering
81:colorectal exams
39:language expert
38:
825:
824:
818:
817:
816:
814:
813:
812:
793:Risk management
783:
782:
781:
780:
770:
768:
758:
757:
753:
741:
737:
724:
722:
713:
712:
708:
692:
691:
687:
680:
656:
655:
651:
641:
639:
628:
627:
623:
616:
603:
602:
598:
588:
586:
584:
567:
566:
562:
547:
546:
542:
528:
527:
523:
510:
508:
499:
498:
494:
481:
479:
477:
460:
459:
455:
442:
440:
431:
430:
426:
413:
411:
402:
401:
394:
381:
379:
368:
367:
363:
350:
348:
337:Safire, William
335:
334:
323:
310:
308:
297:
296:
292:
287:
260:
216:Gordon Sondland
192:; for example,
160:attacks of 9/11
53:
36:
26:), abbreviated
24:cover your arse
17:
12:
11:
5:
823:
822:
819:
811:
810:
805:
800:
795:
785:
784:
779:
778:
751:
735:
706:
685:
678:
649:
621:
614:
606:The Negotiator
596:
582:
560:
540:
521:
492:
475:
453:
424:
392:
361:
321:
289:
288:
286:
283:
282:
281:
276:
271:
266:
259:
256:
205:cover your ass
181:Morton Thiokol
164:George W. Bush
131:The Negotiator
57:cover your ass
52:
49:
41:William Safire
20:Cover your ass
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
821:
820:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
790:
788:
766:
762:
755:
752:
749:
748:Oct. 17, 2019
747:
739:
736:
732:
721:
717:
710:
707:
702:
701:
696:
689:
686:
681:
679:9780961392123
675:
671:
666:
665:
659:
653:
650:
638:
637:
632:
625:
622:
617:
615:9780552134750
611:
607:
600:
597:
585:
583:9780195343342
579:
575:
571:
564:
561:
556:
555:
554:The Economist
550:
544:
541:
536:
532:
525:
522:
518:
507:
503:
496:
493:
489:
478:
476:9781876067106
472:
468:
464:
457:
454:
450:
439:
435:
428:
425:
421:
410:
406:
399:
397:
393:
389:
378:
377:
372:
365:
362:
358:
346:
342:
338:
332:
330:
328:
326:
322:
318:
307:
306:
301:
294:
291:
284:
280:
277:
275:
272:
270:
267:
265:
264:Due diligence
262:
261:
257:
254:
252:
246:
244:
241:
238:
237:
232:
228:
223:
221:
220:Jackie Speier
217:
213:
208:
206:
201:
197:
196:
191:
187:
182:
178:
173:
171:
170:
165:
161:
157:
153:
152:type II error
147:
145:
138:
136:
132:
129:In the novel
126:
124:
120:
116:
115:
110:
104:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
50:
48:
46:
42:
35:
34:
29:
25:
21:
769:. Retrieved
767:. Washington
764:
754:
745:
738:
730:
723:. Retrieved
720:The Atlantic
719:
709:
698:
688:
663:
652:
640:. Retrieved
634:
624:
605:
599:
587:. Retrieved
573:
563:
552:
543:
534:
524:
516:
509:. Retrieved
505:
495:
487:
480:. Retrieved
466:
456:
448:
441:. Retrieved
438:The Atlantic
437:
427:
419:
412:. Retrieved
409:The Atlantic
408:
387:
380:. Retrieved
376:The Atlantic
374:
364:
356:
349:. Retrieved
344:
316:
309:. Retrieved
305:Cosmopolitan
303:
293:
250:
248:
243:Dana Milbank
234:
224:
212:Donald Trump
209:
204:
193:
186:Edward Tufte
174:
167:
149:
143:
140:
130:
128:
118:
112:
108:
106:
68:
64:
56:
54:
31:
27:
23:
19:
18:
642:November 5,
200:White House
101:bureaucracy
55:The phrase
803:Prevention
787:Categories
771:January 6,
725:August 26,
589:August 26,
511:August 26,
482:August 26,
443:August 26,
414:August 26,
382:August 26,
351:August 26,
311:August 26,
190:disclaimer
97:journalism
77:euphemisms
73:synecdoche
22:(British:
285:Footnotes
240:columnist
746:POLITICO
660:(1997).
570:"C.Y.A."
258:See also
676:
612:
580:
473:
225:In an
119:memcon
109:C.Y.A.
61:vulgar
798:Slang
700:Slate
670:26–53
227:op-ed
195:Slate
71:as a
51:Usage
37:'
773:2020
765:Post
727:2014
674:ISBN
644:2014
610:ISBN
591:2014
578:ISBN
513:2014
484:2014
471:ISBN
445:2014
416:2014
384:2014
353:2014
313:2014
91:and
251:CYA
154:or
144:CYA
133:by
69:CYA
65:CYA
28:CYA
789::
763:.
729:.
718:.
697:.
672:.
633:.
608:.
572:.
551:.
533:.
515:.
504:.
465:.
447:.
436:.
418:.
407:.
395:^
386:.
373:.
355:.
343:.
324:^
315:.
302:.
233:,
121:—"
103::
775:.
703:.
682:.
646:.
618:.
537:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.