Allowing active content displays data in collapsible format
Graded Requirements
Requirement
Due
Points
Assignment:
You are an
advisor in the Secretary of Homeland Security's policy planning
staff.
In the wake of
Katrina, the Homeland Security Advisor and National Security
Advisor are convening a joint Homeland Security Council (HSC)/National
Security Council (NSC) Principals Committee (PC) meeting next
week, to discuss the appropriate role of military forces in
responding to domestic incidents of national significance, and
on the appropriate coordinating structures between the
Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
The purpose of the PC is to achieve consensus among the HSC and
NSC principals on their recommendations to the President, or, if
consensus cannot be achieved, to limit the points of
disagreement and frame the available options for the President's
consideration.
The Secretary
asks you for an analysis of the issue and recommendations.
This memo is your response to the Secretary's request.
Administrative Requirements:
Due 15 Feb 06, paper copy in class, also emailed to
instructor, NLT 0840.
2-3 pages;
single spaced; Times New Roman; 11-pitch or 12-pitch font; one inch margins; no cover page;
don't number paragraphs; no page number on page one; include
page numbers on pages 2 and up, centered at the bottom of the
page. For matters of style, refer to
William Strunck, Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, Fourth
Edition (Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2000).
Follow the format and guidance in this
policy memo format
(similar to memos prepared in the White House and many
government agencies, most of which
are usually about three pages, though sometimes longer if
appropriate). Here is an
example of a policy memo written in graduate school. You
can include a lot of analysis in 2-3 pages. Your memo
should provide analysis and recommendations, not simply
summarize facts or issues.
Some Pointers on Writing
Effective Policy Memoranda (you don't necessarily need to
satisfy every one of these pointers in your submission, but this
list is based on experience and should prove helpful):
Make it clear why the official
is reading the memo.
State your main point clearly
up front.
Use an effective title.
Provide up front a "roadmap"
for the rest of the memo.
Use sub-headings that reinforce
the "roadmap" and main argument.
Make your memo as readable and
quickly digestible as possible, while still including
whatever level of detail and analysis are necessary -- don't
oversimplify complex issues.
Don't just dissect the problem
-- provide solutions.
Show how your recommendations
will improve the current situation.
Don't assume more or less
familiarity with the issue than the official is likely to
have.
Think about the full dimensions
of the problem.
Think beyond the present .
. . consider the future.
Don't neglect the politics.
Consider opposition.
Discuss implementation.
Be wary of adjectives,
especially "clearly" and "obviously," which can backfire at
the expense of your credibility. What if it's not
clear or obvious to the official? If you say that
"clearly, action is needed," and the official doesn't act,
then you've (a) questioned their judgment, and/or (b)
impugned the quality of your advice. Similarly, rare
are the circumstances that you should tell an official that
they "must" do something, though there are times
when strong recommendations are necessary.
Consider the consequences of
non-action, if appropriate.
Provide alternatives, if
appropriate.
This Assignment Supports the Following Course
Objectives:
Develop the
ability of aspiring officers to conduct and convey critical
analysis, both written and oral.
Provide aspiring
officers with a thorough understanding of the homeland security
challenge, and the manner with which homeland security is
similar to, and different from, other national security
challenges.
Develop an
understanding of how homeland security policy intersects with
domestic policy, and the unique challenges that homeland
security poses to competing national priorities such as
international trade.
Develop an
understanding of the doctrinal foundations of current homeland
security policy and how it fits with related but distinct policy
areas: combating terrorism, counterproliferation, and homeland
defense.
Foster an
appreciation of state, local, and private sector roles and
responsibilities in homeland security.
Develop an
understanding of the appropriate role of the military in
homeland security.
Acquire a
theoretical and practical understanding of moral, ethical,
organizational, legal, fiscal, and cultural challenges to
improving homeland security.
Acquire
sufficient perspective and knowledge to critically evaluate
whether homeland security policies, individually or
cumulatively, pose a risk to American values, civil liberties,
or way of life.
Develop a basic
understanding of interagency and intergovernmental processes,
and foster an awareness of the skills necessary for military
officers to work effectively with civilian counterparts across a
broad range of professional disciplines.
Foster the
ability to develop creative approaches to border security,
transportation security, intelligence and warning, domestic
counterterrorism, critical infrastructure protection, and
emergency preparedness and response.
15 Feb
06
100
Assignment:
You are a staffer in the Emergency
Preparedness and Critical Infrastructure Protection Directorate
in the Homeland Security Council.
Terrorists
successfully execute nearly simultaneous attacks against two
privately owned U. S. industrial chemical facilities (using high
yield explosives) and a Monday night football game (three
suicide bombers). Total casualties approach 5,000 dead and
wounded, of which 140 dead and 210 wounded were a result of the
suicide bombings. As facts about the attacks emerge, it
quickly becomes clear that the key steps that would have had the
greatest chance of preventing, deterring or mitigating the
attacks would have required action by the private sector owners,
not the government.
The President
has asked the Homeland Security Advisor to report to him
within seven days, and provide specific recommendations on how
to compel, require, and/or provide incentives and disincentives
to ensure necessary private sector action in the future. The
President asks you to do so in a way that will limit significant
long-term harm to the domestic economy, nor significantly erode
America’s global competitiveness.
The Homeland Security Advisor asks
you to prepare a memo providing your recommendations, with
supporting analysis, for her consideration prior to her meeting
with the President.
Administrative Requirements:
Due 7 Mar 06, paper copy in class, also emailed to
instructor, NLT 0840.
3 pages. Other administrative guidance same as above.
Coordinating Requirement:
Since this question involves
important economic issues, you need to coordinate your memo with
the President's Council of Economic Advisors and the National
Economic Council.
For the purpose of this assignment,
"coordination" entails contacting an Economics instructor of
your choice in the Department of Social Sciences (in person, via
phone, or via email), asking them to briefly review your
recommendations and provide feedback (in person or via email),
and then incorporating their feedback into your final
submission. You must effect such coordination not
later than 3 March 06. A portion of your grade will
reflect the Economic instructor's assessment of how well you
incorporated their feedback.
This Assignment Supports the Following Course
Objectives:
Develop the ability of aspiring
officers to conduct and convey critical analysis, both written
and oral.
Provide aspiring officers with a
thorough understanding of the homeland security challenge, and
the manner with which homeland security is similar to, and
different from, other national security challenges.
Develop an understanding of how
homeland security policy intersects with domestic policy, and
the unique challenges that homeland security poses to competing
national priorities such as international trade.
Develop an understanding of the
international dimensions of homeland security policy, and how
those dimensions interact with the whole of US foreign policy.
Foster an appreciation of state,
local, and private sector roles and responsibilities in homeland
security.
Acquire a theoretical and practical
understanding of moral, ethical, organizational, legal, fiscal,
and cultural challenges to improving homeland security.
Develop a basic understanding of
interagency and intergovernmental processes, and foster an
awareness of the skills necessary for military officers to work
effectively with civilian counterparts across a broad range of
professional disciplines.
Foster the ability to develop
creative approaches to border security, transportation security,
intelligence and warning, domestic counterterrorism, critical
infrastructure protection, and emergency preparedness and
response.
7 Mar
06
150
Assignment:
The Senate Committee on Homeland
Security is holding a hearing entitled "Immigration Policy to
Secure the Northern and Southern Borders," and has invited four
persons to testify: (1) the Assistant Secretary of State for
Consular Affairs; (2) the Commissioner of Customs and Border
Protection with the Department of Homeland Security; (3) a
member of an interest group that favors strict control of
illegal immigration through improved physical security along the
border, increased interior enforcement, increased penalties and
deportations of illegal immigrants, and no temporary worker
programs or amnesty programs; (4) a member of an interest group
that favors control of the physical border coupled with a
temporary worker program, controls over the preventive detention
and deportation of non-US persons in violation of their visas,
among other policies.
We will divide class into four
groups of four to five students each. We will determine
the groups on 9 Mar 06. Each group will collectively
represent one of the witnesses above. The remaining
students will serve as Democratic or Republican members of the
Committee. Professor Margaret Stock, Assistant Professor
in the Department of Law and an expert on immigration law, will chair the committee.
We will hold the hearing in class
on 31 Mar 06. The Chairman will call the hearing to order
promptly at the beginning of class. Each group
should select one spokesperson to give a 90-second (firm time
limit) opening statement, however all members of the group (not
just the spokesperson) must participate during the hearing. The
Chair will then open the hearing for Committee members to
question the witnesses.
Administrative Requirements:
Not later than 29 Mar 06, 1500:
each group will email a written
statement for the record, not longer than 4 pages single-spaced,
to the Committee (the instructor, any other faculty members, and
students serving as Committee members).
You should follow the format of testimony assigned
as readings in this course, or may download written testimony
from the internet as a guide to format.
4
April 06, start of class: We will conduct an "after action
review" of the hearing.
Handling Questions and Answers in a Congressional Hearing:
Show openness and enthusiasm
for the chance to answer questions and express your views.
Anticipate the most obvious and
difficult questions and prepare careful answers in advance.
If possible, refer to your
questioner by name or by title (e.g., Madam Secretary, Mr.
Chairman, Senator Doe).
Listen actively with nonverbal
cues (nods, smiles, frowns, etc. )
Pause before answering.
Be brief, direct, and
concerned.
Always answer honestly.
Try to restate your key points
within your response. While being
responsive to the question, make a smooth transition to the
main message you want to get across.
Use concrete examples and brief
anecdotes in your answer.
Don't bluff if you don't know
(but keep to a minimum).
If the answer to a question is
classified, or would invade someone's privacy, it's OK to
say so. Then bridge to one of your
messages.
Ask for clarification when
necessary (but keep to a minimum).
Protect the record.
If a questioner asks you a question based on false data, be
sure to protect and, if necessary, correct the record.
Interrupt rarely and always
tactfully.
Avoid engaging too long with
one person.
Avoid making more than three
points at a time.
Show respect for hostile
opposition, but respond with cordial confidence.
Don't argue, though there are
times when a questioner is confrontational and you must
"step up" to the situation to maintain control.
End on a high note, maintaining
control.
Preparing for a Congressional
Hearing or Media Interview (excerpts drawn from the US Air
Force's media training program):
Your success is directly tied to
the quality of your preparation, your ability to articulate your
messages, and the level of control you exercise during the
hearing or interview. Don't think that a hearing or
interview is a conversation and that you can "wing it.
" View it instead as an opportunity for you to make a
well-developed presentation reflecting research, preparation,
and enthusiasm.
Messages. You should
never enter a hearing room or do an interview unless you know
exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it.
You should anticipate the issues and questions and be equipped
with short, memorable, positive and relevant messages with which
to respond.
Use the "inverted pyramid" to
structure your answers:
Tools. Here are some
basic techniques you can use to get your messages across:
Bridging is smoothly
transitioning from the question asked to your messages.
A direct question deserves a direct answer.
But then, after briefly touching upon the answer, bridge to
your messages and your agenda.
Hooking is taking
advantage of opportunities to help focus on what you want to
talk about. The idea is to entice the questioner into
your agenda.
Flagging is simply a way
to underscore, verbally and nonverbally, what's important
within your answers. You can use voice inflection, a
hand gesture, eye conact, body language or a phrase like,
"What is really critical to know about this issue.
. . " to ensure the questioner and audience have
a clear understanding of what you think is important.
Personal credibility is
never forgetting that you are the expert - that's why the
committee has invited you to testify, or the media has come
to you for an interview. Use your personal knowledge
and experience to avoid speaking in the abstract. If
you can say "I've talked to the men and women manning our
southwest border . . . " or "I have personal experience within
my family with the difficulty of legally immigrating to the
United States" ... do it.
Critics will never be shy about their credentials - neither
should you.
This Assignment Supports the Following Course
Objectives:
Develop the ability of aspiring
officers to conduct and convey critical analysis, both written
and oral.
Provide aspiring officers with a
thorough understanding of the homeland security challenge, and
the manner with which homeland security is similar to, and
different from, other national security challenges.
Develop an understanding of how
homeland security policy intersects with domestic policy, and
the unique challenges that homeland security poses to competing
national priorities such as international trade.
Develop an understanding of the
international dimensions of homeland security policy, and how
those dimensions interact with the whole of US foreign policy.
Foster an appreciation of state,
local, and private sector roles and responsibilities in homeland
security.
Acquire a theoretical and practical
understanding of moral, ethical, organizational, legal, fiscal,
and cultural challenges to improving homeland security.
Acquire sufficient perspective and
knowledge to critically evaluate whether homeland security
policies, individually or cumulatively, pose a risk to American
values, civil liberties, or way of life.
Develop a basic understanding of
interagency and intergovernmental processes, and foster an
awareness of the skills necessary for military officers to work
effectively with civilian counterparts across a broad range of
professional disciplines.
Foster the ability to develop
creative approaches to border security, transportation security,
intelligence and warning, domestic counterterrorism, critical
infrastructure protection, and emergency preparedness and
response.
31 Mar
06
150
You will
complete one 2-3 page guest lecture synopses during the
semester. Your instructor will determine which lectures you
synopsize, with consideration of your preferences.
Each is worth 25 points.
Follow the
guest lecture synopsis format, which includes guidance on
the intent and substance of the assignment. This format is
similar to that for policy memos prepared in the National
Security Council and Homeland Security Council.
Email me your synopses prior to the
next class following the guest lecture, and provide me a paper
copy in class.
This Assignment Supports the Following Course
Objectives:
Develop the ability of aspiring
officers to conduct and convey critical analysis, both written
and oral.
Provide aspiring officers with a
thorough understanding of the homeland security challenge, and
the manner with which homeland security is similar to, and
different from, other national security challenges.
Foster the ability to develop
creative approaches to border security, transportation security,
intelligence and warning, domestic counterterrorism, critical
infrastructure protection, and emergency preparedness and
response.
TBD
25
Administrative Requirements:
You will complete a 2-3 page synopsis of the trip section.
Prepare your synopsis in Army memorandum format. Unlike
the guest lecture synopses, you may structure the substance of
your synopsis in any manner you wish, the guiding principle
being that you should adopt the structure that best communicates
what you want to say. While you may find it necessary to
provide a summary overview of the events and officials we
visited, keep it very succinct (perhaps bulletize). I'm
going on the trip too, so I will know where we went, who we saw,
and what we discussed. As with the guest lecture synopsis,
I want to read your analysis, synthesized with everything you
have learned in the course to date.
Email me your synopsis prior to the
due date, and provide me a paper copy in class.
This Assignment Supports the Following Course
Objectives:
Develop the ability of aspiring
officers to conduct and convey critical analysis, both written
and oral.
Provide aspiring officers with a
thorough understanding of the homeland security challenge, and
the manner with which homeland security is similar to, and
different from, other national security challenges.
Foster the ability to develop
creative approaches to border security, transportation security,
intelligence and warning, domestic counterterrorism, critical
infrastructure protection, and emergency preparedness and
response.
14 April 06
50
Assignment:
You are the senior national security and homeland security
policy advisor to a prospective presidential candidate for the
2008 election.
You are meeting regularly with the candidate to review policy,
identify the candidate’s policy priorities, develop the
candidate’s specific proposals, and, ultimately, plan and refine
strategy for the campaign. Your next major meeting is to
discuss what will become a major theme of the campaign: the
appropriate balance of counterterrorism security measures and
civil liberties. Your candidate has already made strong
statements reflecting that the array of current policies is
unbalanced: not only does the current Administration’s approach
unduly erode Americans’ civil liberties, it does so with
policies that are not optimally effective (and even
counterproductive) in increasing our security from terrorism.
To prepare for the meeting, your top priority for the next two
weeks is the writing of a “white paper” exploring this issue. A
“white paper” is a colloquial term in the policy community for
an analysis or “thought piece” that dissects a complex problem
and charts a provisional path forward. It is substantively
meatier than a policy memo (containing a more comprehensive and
systematic analysis that weights thoroughness over brevity), and
makes only broad policy suggestions, though few, if any, refined
policy proposals. Rather, the goal of a “white paper” is to
communicate an analysis of the full dimensions of a problem, and
outline a strategic approach that can serve as the foundation
for specific policies and actions. “White papers” can vary
greatly in length (in general, from 5-6 pages long, to 25-30
pages long). Within the executive branch, they are often used
to frame discussion of a policy issue within an official’s
personal staff (e.g. the Chief of Staff of the Army), within a
single organization (e.g. the Army Staff, the National Security
Council), or across agencies (e.g. the staffs of multiple
Cabinet departments such as State, Defense, Justice, CIA,
etc.).
Your assignment is to write a white paper that critically
examines current policy, explores the appropriate balance of
counterterrorism security measures and civil liberties in a
coherent and thoughtful way, and articulates a strategic
approach for the future.
Substantive Guidance:
Your paper should encompass the key issues associated with
homeland security policies and civil liberties. This may
include many, if not all, of the following: law enforcement
investigative practices (e.g. surveillance, searches,
wiretapping, access to personal records, etc.); immigration
policy and enforcement; other border security policies;
watchlisting and screening; biometrics; identification and
documentation standards; gathering, integrating, maintaining,
and sharing information on US persons; domestic intelligence; as
well as other topics discussed in the course.
Your paper should draw on the course readings, particularly
those associated with the topics above. You may also draw on
your own research. You will likely find it necessary to be very
specific, within the space constraints, in your discussion of
important technical, legal, and ethical issues.
Your paper should apply in some manner concepts and issues
discussed by Heymann and Posner, should seek to articulate a
conceptual framework for striking the appropriate balance
between security and liberty, and should offer a vision for your
candidate’s approach on this issue.
Administrative Requirements:
4-6 pages; single-spaced. Times New Roman; 11- or 12-pitch
font; one inch margins; no cover page; don’t number paragraphs;
no page number on page one; include page numbers on pages 2 and
up, centered at the bottom of the page.
The top of page 1 should look as such:
Title of Your Paper
Your Name
May 12, 2006
You may divide your paper into sections with section headings,
but do not break down your sections into subsections, etc. Stay
consistent with general guidance I have previously provided on
structure, titles of headings, etc.
Turn-in a hard-copy of your paper at the beginning of our final
class, and email me a copy of your paper prior to class.
This Assignment Supports the Following Course
Objectives:
Provide
aspiring officers with a thorough understanding of the homeland
security challenge, and the manner with which homeland security
is similar to, and different from, other national security
challenges.
Develop an
understanding of how homeland security policy intersects with
domestic policy, and the unique challenges that homeland
security poses to competing national priorities such as
international trade.
Acquire a
theoretical and practical understanding of moral, ethical,
organizational, legal, fiscal, and cultural challenges to
improving homeland security.
Acquire
sufficient perspective and knowledge to critically evaluate
whether homeland security policies, individually or
cumulatively, pose a risk to American values, civil liberties,
or way of life.
Foster the
ability to develop creative approaches to border security,
transportation security, intelligence and warning, domestic
counterterrorism, critical infrastructure protection, and
emergency preparedness and response.
Develop the
ability of aspiring officers to conduct critical analysis, both
written and oral, of the issues that are examined in the course.
12 May 06
175
This course is
organized as a seminar, which means that daily participation is
essential to understanding the readings and developing your
knowledge of homeland security policy. A seminar requires
involvement from all participants, and you are expected to attend
class and speak regularly. Careful reading will be necessary for
informed participation. If you keep up with the syllabus, then
you will find this course both educational and enjoyable.