Foreign Policy Issue Brief

 
Purposes
The objective of the issue brief is to develop the ability to apply the concepts and
principles of American foreign policy to the daily flow of events and to specific
foreign policy issues. This foreign policy issue brief assignment will enable you
to work over the semester on a current topic of your choice.
Assignment
First you must select a current issue or problem in American foreign policy that
meets the following criteria:
1. The issue must be a current foreign policy issue. Make sure to choose a clearly
discernible policy.
2. There should be clear alternatives to the current policy.
3. There must be enough data available to provide decision-makers with information
to make a decision on the policy proposal.
Structure of the Issue Brief
Introduction/Overview
a. Introduce the issue
b. Statement of purpose – why decision-makers should consider a policy change?
what circumstances (e.g., changes in government, leadership, stability, etc.) have
changed that make a new approach advisable or necessary?
c. Review the current policy – what are we currently doing? what is the public’s
perception of the policy? how effective is the policy?
Empirical Analysis
Discuss who are the actors, and explain the nature, significance, causes, effects,
dynamics, and trends of the situation, i.e. “what is the current state of affairs?”
Discussion
Discuss the alternative policy options (at least two, not including the status quo)
to the current policy by explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each policy
option. Here you should try to identify the political, economic, and security implications
for each option. This is the most important part of the paper.